Costs have gone off the rails…
California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project is facing a fresh wave of backlash after new estimates suggest the total cost could reach a staggering $231 billion, reigniting calls to shut it down entirely.
The ballooning figure surfaced during a state Senate Transportation Committee hearing, where lawmakers pressed officials over what critics say is a pattern of shifting numbers and unclear planning.
At the center of the storm is Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration has continued to back the project even as its scope has narrowed and costs have surged.
“I’ve been saying this for years now, but this is the most wasteful government project in probably world history,” State Sen. Tony Strickland said, blasting the jump from an original $33 billion estimate to more than $231 billion today.
He added a blunt warning: stop digging.
The project, overseen by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, was approved by voters in 2008 with a promise to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco by 2020.
That vision is long gone.
Instead, the state is now focused on a scaled-back 171-mile stretch between Merced and Bakersfield — a fraction of the original plan — with completion pushed to 2032.
Roughly 119 miles are currently under construction, after more than $14 billion has already been spent, much of it on land acquisition and early building in the Central Valley.
Even that limited segment carries a hefty price.
The Authority estimates the Central Valley portion alone will cost about $34.8 billion, while the broader Phase 1 system is pegged at $126 billion — numbers critics say are far from final.
Without significant changes, including altering station plans and potentially sharing track with existing rail lines, analysts warn the total could exceed $231 billion.
Rep. Kevin Kiley called the project “the worst public infrastructure failure in U.S. history,” arguing there is no realistic path forward.
“Thankfully, we have now cut off all further federal funding,” Kiley said. “There is no viable path forward for this disastrous project.”
A report from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office added fuel to the fire.
Auditor Helen Kerstine told lawmakers the Authority’s latest business plan suffers from a lack of transparency and flagged multiple structural concerns, including questionable funding assumptions and reliance on future policy changes.
The critique underscores a deeper problem.
Even as construction continues, the project’s financial foundation remains uncertain — and its final form increasingly unclear.
More over at The New York Post:
California’s high-speed rail now ‘worst project in history’ — as insiders reveal unbelievable new costhttps://t.co/v94nlWOufy
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 29, 2026
