Trump pulls $4 billion from California bullet train project, escalating feud with Newsom
The Trump administration has revoked $4 billion in federal funding for California’s long-delayed high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, sparking legal threats from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Frances Vinall reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called the rail effort a “boondoggle” and announced the withdrawal of federal funds, while President Trump claimed on social media that taxpayers were being rescued from a “train to nowhere.”
- Newsom condemned the move as illegal and signaled the state may take legal action to defend the project, which he said is nearing its final phase with land acquisition and construction of overpasses and viaducts underway.
- Originally approved by voters in 2008 with a $10 billion budget, the project’s cost has ballooned to an estimated $128 billion, with current plans projecting initial service between Merced and Bakersfield by 2030.
Key quote:
“These are legally binding agreements. This is no time for Washington to walk away on America’s transportation future.”
— Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High Speed Rail Authority
Why this matters:
The U.S. remains far behind other industrialized nations in building efficient, lower-emission transportation like high-speed rail. California’s bullet train was meant to be a step toward reducing car traffic and fossil fuel dependence in one of the world’s largest economies. Its promise includes cutting travel times, easing air pollution, and reshaping transit habits across the state. But the project has become a political lightning rod and a symbol of bureaucratic inertia, funding battles, and shifting priorities. If derailed, it could discourage future efforts to invest in clean infrastructure and widen the gap between transportation goals and reality in a warming world.
Related: France unveils new high-speed train as U.S. rail ambitions lag behind
