Overview
- The FRA’s 315-page compliance review cites years of mismanagement, broken promises and zero miles of track laid despite $6.9 billion in federal funding
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that two grants totaling nearly $4 billion could be reallocated to other infrastructure projects if California fails to meet its commitments
- Project costs have soared from the original $33 billion estimate to over $100 billion, leaving a $7 billion shortfall to complete the Merced-Bakersfield Early Operating Segment
- Scope has been slashed from an 800-mile system to a 171-mile Central Valley segment that faces further reduction to a 119-mile line without new funding
- Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged at least $1 billion per year in state funds and is exploring public-private partnerships to bridge financing gaps