Overview

• The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new report projects initial service between Merced and Bakersfield around 2032 and says links toward the Bay Area and Los Angeles still lack funding.
• It estimates about $87 billion to build the Gilroy–Palmdale stretch targeted for 2038 and nearly $37 billion for the 171-mile Central Valley segment, citing cost-saving measures that avoided a higher figure.
• Construction now covers 119 miles in the Central Valley with roughly 70 miles of guideway completed, and the authority reports about $14 billion spent to date.
• House Oversight Chairman James Comer requested documents and a staff briefing from USDOT by Sept. 2 to examine whether ridership and financial projections were misrepresented to secure funds.
• USDOT under the Trump administration rescinded roughly $4 billion in unspent federal grants in July, prompting a state lawsuit, as new polling shows 62% of California voters still support building the project.