California: US DOT Withdraws Funding for Four Additional Rail Projects

US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will withdraw federal funding for four projects linked to California’s High-Speed Rail programme. The decision affects a total of approximately 175 million USD in planned federal support.

The four projects are:

• Le Grand Overcrossing Project on the Merced Extension (California High-Speed Rail Authority) – 89.6 million USD
• Southern San Jose Grade Separations (Monterey Road) (City of San Jose) – 7.5 million USD
• Downtown Rail Extension (DTX) Final Design for Track and Rail Systems Project (Transbay Joint Powers Authority) – 24.7 million USD
• Madera High-Speed Rail Station Project (California Department of Transportation) – 54.5 million USD

The Department of Transportation stated that the decision followed a review of the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) progress, financial commitments, and delivery timelines.

In July, the FRA also announced the termination of 4 billion USD in federal grant funding to CHSRA.

California’s High-Speed Rail project plans to link San Francisco and Los Angeles, with future extensions to Sacramento and San Diego. Construction is currently concentrated in California’s Central Valley, where work continues on the first operational segment.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has estimated the overall project cost at around 135 billion USD.

The FRA has indicated that all remaining grants related to the California High-Speed Rail Project are now under review.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said:

The waste ends here. As of today, the American people are done investing in California’s failed experiment. Instead, my Department will focus on making travel great again by investing in well-managed projects that can make projects like high-speed rail a reality.