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Funding pulled for California's High Speed Rail
It's the end of the line for California's High Speed Rail as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that they are pulling the plug on the $4 billion 'train to nowhere.'
LOS ANGELES - The Trump administration announced it is pulling $4 billion in federal funding for California's high-speed rail project.
What we know:
President Donald Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, declaring he is no longer funding the California project.
Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blasted Governor Gavin Newsom for allegedly wasting federal funds on the project.
"This is California’s fault," Duffy said in a press release. "Federal dollars are not a blank check – they come with a promise to deliver results."
The news of withdrawing federal funds come as the Trump administration accused California of spending $15 billion on the high-speed rail project and "not one high speed track has been laid by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)."
What they're saying:
Below is a statement released by Trump on his social media page:
"To the Law abiding, Tax paying, Hardworking Citizens of the United States of America, I am thrilled to announce that I have officially freed you from funding California's disastrously overpriced, "HIGH SPEED TRAIN TO NOWHERE." This boondoggle, led by the incompetent Governor of California, Gavin Newscum, has cost Taxpayers Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we have received NOTHING in return except Cost Overruns. The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will. This project was Severely Overpriced, Overregulated, and NEVER DELIVERED. Thanks to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again. This was an ill-conceived and unnecessary project, and a total waste of Taxpayer money - But no more!"
Newsom issued a rebuttal on social media, mocking Duffy for the months-long trend of FAA-related issues that have risen since the beginning of Trump's second term.
"Won’t be taking advice from the guy who can’t keep planes in the sky," Newsom wrote on X.
Below is a statement released by Newsom on Wednesday:
"Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won’t let him. With projects like the Texas high-speed rail failing to take off, we are miles ahead of others. We’re now in the track-laying phase and building America’s only high-speed rail. California is putting all options on the table to fight this illegal action."
The backstory:
The California high-speed rail project was initially designed to have a train system going from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours. However, as of July 2025, construction has only been set to cover 119 miles between Bakersfield and Merced.
Prior to Wednesday's announcement, the high-speed rail project designed to cover Bakersfield to Merced was expected to begin testing phase in 2028.
The Source: This report used information provided by U.S. Department of Transportation, Trump's Truth Social page, and previous FOX 11 reports.