Congressman Doug LaMalfa has praised the U.S. Department of Transportation’s compliance report, which confirms that California’s High-Speed Rail project is in default of its federal grant agreements and lacks a feasible path to completion. The 315-page report, released by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, highlights issues such as mismanagement, missed deadlines, and inflated ridership projections, revealing a significant $7 billion funding gap needed to finalize a small segment between Merced and Bakersfield.
The project’s total cost has escalated to $128 billion, with the Federal Railroad Administration expressing a lack of confidence in the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to deliver an operational high-speed rail system. The report indicates that California misled the federal government to obtain billions in taxpayer funds, yet has produced minimal results.
LaMalfa remarked on the report’s findings, stating that the project is effectively a “train to nowhere,” with completion timelines continually pushed back and costs soaring. He criticized the lack of accountability and called for a reallocation of funds to more viable infrastructure projects, such as water storage and road repairs.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s report underscores the CHSRA’s failure to meet its obligations under the $4 billion in federal grants. The Department of Transportation has set a deadline for California to respond by mid-July, after which it may move to terminate the grants.
