High-Speed Rail: Should Californians ‘End the Nightmare’?
California's high-speed rail project, approved by voters in 2008 with a $30 billion estimate, now faces a projected cost of up to $250 billion and significant delays, with no operational trains or usable tracks as of 2026. Critics argue the project is over budget, non-compliant with state law, and a misuse of taxpayer funds, while some experts believe a limited segment may still be feasible. The debate continues over whether to abandon the project or seek renewed voter approval for a revised plan.
- ▪Voters approved Proposition 1A in 2008 expecting a $30 billion high-speed rail system connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco in two hours.
- ▪Current estimates range from $126 billion for a bare-bones plan to $250 billion for the original vision, with no operational service yet.
- ▪Assemblyman David Tangipa and Congressman Vince Fong criticize the project as illegal and wasteful, while Marc Joffe suggests a scaled-back version from Bakersfield to Merced may be achievable.
- ▪Marc Joffe notes the original two-hour, 40-minute trip is unachievable and would likely take closer to four hours.
- ▪California has built less than 1600 feet of track since 2008, while China has constructed 33,000 miles of high-speed rail in the same period.
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Home - California Politics & News - High-Speed Rail: Should Californians ‘End the Nightmare’? NEWS High-Speed Rail: Should Californians ‘End the Nightmare’? Angelina Delfin • May 5, 2026 Print Hanford, CA, Tuesday, January 29, 2024 - Work continues on the California High Speed Rail, Hanford Viaduct. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (function(){var t=document.querySelector(".wp-block-kadence-dynamichtml"),s=document.currentScript.previousElementSibling;if(t&&s){if("prepend"==="before_element")t.parentNode.insertBefore(s,t);else if("prepend"==="after_element")t.parentNode.insertBefore(s,t.nextSibling);else if("prepend"==="prepend"||"prepend"==="inside_first_child")t.insertBefore(s,t.firstChild);else t.appendChild(s);}})(); California’s high-speed rail funding was delayed…
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