InvestigationSeptember 16, 2026
California High-Speed Rail: $13.8B spent, still no track laid
Voters authorized $9 billion in bonds in 2008. Nearly two decades later, $13.8 billion has been spent system-wide, 67% of Central Valley guideway is ready for track — but no high-speed track exists anywhere yet.
Source award
California High-Speed Rail Authority — $2,500,000,000 from FRA-HSIPR, FY2010.
Sources (2)
- https://hsr.ca.gov/about/transparency-accountability/funding/federal-grants/
“The ARRA grant provided HSR with $2.5 billion in federal funding, which was fully expended by the statutory deadline of October 2017”
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail
“as of August 2025, a total of $13.8 billion had been spent on the project... 80 miles (130 km), or 67%, of contiguous guideway declared complete and ready for track-laying... revenue service projected to commence in 2032”
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