California’s High-Speed Rail Faces Direction Change: A Look at the Future of the Project

The Tied Arch Bridge construction site in Fresno County, Calif.

Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

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Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

HANFORD, Calif. — Hundreds of miles from Los Angeles and San Francisco, the first leg of California’s high-speed rail line is rising above the almond trees and grape vines of the Central Valley.

This summer, construction workers put the final concrete girder in place for the Hanford Viaductan elevated structure more than 6,300 feet long. It’s part of a 119-mile stretch around Fresno and Bakersfield that’s already under construction, and where crews could begin laying track as soon as next year.

“This is all doable. This is all buildable,” said Ian Choudri, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “The hardest part is over.”

If you want to ride on a train traveling more than 180 miles per hour, you can find one in Europe. Also China, Japan, IndonesiaTurkey, even Morocco. One country where you cannot ride such a train is the United States.

California is trying to change that. But the state’s ambitious high-speed rail project faces an uncertain future as the Trump administration tries to cancel billions of dollars in federal funding.

Choudri took the top job at California’s high-speed rail authority last year after decades in the private sector, including high-speed rail projects in France and Spain. He readily acknowledges that the California project has made mistakes — but he insists the authority has learned from them.

The Hanford Viaduct stretches more than 6,300 feet in Kings County, Calif.

Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

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Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

“Bureaucracy and regulations created the nightmare,” Choudri said in an interview at the authority’s headquarters in Sacramento. “That caused this program to start on the wrong foot.”

Those missteps are well documented: rushing to begin construction before all the land was acquired, committing too early to the wrong routes, endless environmental reviews.

After more than 15 years in development, a high-speed train connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles remains a distant goal. The project is years behind schedule and billions over budget. Critics, including the Trump administration, call it a boondoggle.

“This is the definition of government incompetence and possibly corruption,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a video announcing that his department would seek to revoke $4 billion in federal grants for the project. “That’s why we’re pulling the plug.”

Governor Newsom and California’s high speed rail boondoggle are the definition of government incompetence and possibly corruption.

The price tag has gone from $33B to $135B with no completion date in sight.

We could give every single LA & SF resident almost 200 free flights… pic.twitter.com/19lyBzPZ62

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 16, 2025

Duffy noted that the area under construction now will only serve the Central Valley — stopping well short of the original plan to connect the line with San Francisco and traffic-clogged Southern California.

“No more federal funds for this high-speed train to nowhere,” Duffy said.

Federal transportation officials concluded that the project has “no viable path” forward. But the high-speed rail authority disputes that.

California is suing to stop the Trump administration from revoking those federal grants. And Choudri is doing all he can to push back on the “train to nowhere” narrative.

The authority released an updated report on the project last month, laying out a new strategy that could eventually connect the Central Valley to the southern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area and the northern edge of Greater Los Angeles by 2038 — if California lawmakers can find more money to finance the extensions.

Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, in his office in Sacramento.

Joel Rose/NPR

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Joel Rose/NPR

And CEO Ian Choudri has invited Trump administration officials to see the progress in person.

“I just want people to come and visit, and just go drive around and see the 70 miles that is already built,” Choudri said. “It’s not hypothetical stuff. It’s there.”

That infrastructure is already having a positive impact in places like Fresno, the fifth-largest city in California, where the rail authority recently finished one of several new tunnels under the future high-speed rail line and station.

Fresno city councilmember Miguel Arias says the Tulare Street Underpass is helping reconnect the historically disadvantaged Chinatown neighborhood with downtown Fresno.

“It’s gonna permanently reconnect the two neighborhoods back,” Arias said. “That’s been a huge significant change for us as a city. Something we could have never done on our own.”

But the Tulare Street Underpass took seven years to build. Garth Fernandez, the regional director for the high-speed rail authority, says it’s a good example of why this project is taking so long.

Garth Fernandez, the Central Valley regional director for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, in the Tulare Street Underpass in Fresno, Calif.

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“We weren’t ready to go to construction. We didn’t have the right of way. We didn’t have agreements in place. We didn’t have utilities out of the way,” Fernandez said.

That’s just one of 60 at-grade crossings in the Central Valley alone — each with its own local community making its own local demands. Fernandez says the authority has learned to streamline the process.

“The next phases of the project are going to be significantly different because of all the lessons we learned,” Fernandez said.

But some Californians may have already lost patience.

“I just don’t think taxpayers are going to support it at the end of the day,” said Lee Ohanian, a professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative-leaning think-tank. “I’m not sure LA to San Francisco was ever realistically on the table once the costs rose so much.”

Even supporters of high-speed rail are skeptical that the project can recover from its early stumbles.

“At this point, the high-speed rail authority is run by professionals. It’s just that all the bad decisions are kind of baked in,” said Alon Levy, a fellow at the NYU Marron Institute who studies the costs of big public transportation projects.

Levy still thinks high-speed rail between San Francisco and Los Angeles is a good idea. But they worry that past mistakes will make it difficult to ever connect the state’s biggest population centers in under three hours, as the project’s leaders originally promised.

“It is kind of frustrating how one bad project like this can poison the entire idea for decades,” Levy said.

But rail authority CEO Ian Choudri thinks Californians are still on board. He compares the effort to other ambitious infrastructure projects like the interstate highway systemor the Big Dig in Boston, that also came in late and over budget.

“Every time we do big initiatives, the results take time to get there,” Choudri said. And he insists the project will continue — with or without federal support. “We will make progress. Regardless, we are moving forward.”

What are the primary factors contributing to the cost overruns and delays in the California High-Speed Rail project?

The Shifting Landscape of California High-Speed Rail

California’s aspiring high-speed rail project, initially envisioned to connect Los angeles and San Francisco, is undergoing a important re-evaluation. Years of delays, escalating costs, and political hurdles have prompted a shift in strategy. This article delves into the current state of the project, the reasons behind the directional change, and what the future holds for this controversial infrastructure undertaking. Key terms driving searches include “California high-speed rail,” “high-speed rail project,” “CA high-speed rail updates,” and “California bullet train.”

From Statewide Vision to Phased approach

Originally, the plan was a true high-speed rail line capable of speeds exceeding 200 mph, linking major metropolitan areas across the state. Though, the reality has proven far more complex. The current focus has narrowed, prioritizing the completion of a functional segment in the Central Valley.

Central Valley Focus: The immediate goal is to complete the 171-mile segment between Merced and Bakersfield. This section aims to demonstrate the viability of the technology and provide a foundation for future expansion.

Deferred Connections: Connections to the Bay Area and Los Angeles have been significantly delayed, with no firm timelines currently established. Funding constraints and land acquisition challenges are primary drivers of this deferral.

Revised Cost Estimates: Initial cost projections of around $33 billion have ballooned to over $128 billion, sparking intense public scrutiny and legislative debate. This cost escalation is a major factor in the project’s re-evaluation.

Key Challenges contributing to the Shift

Several interconnected factors have contributed to the need for a directional change in the California high-speed rail project.Understanding these challenges is crucial for assessing the project’s future prospects.

Funding Issues & Political Opposition

Securing consistent funding has been a persistent struggle.

Federal Funding Uncertainty: Reliance on federal grants has created vulnerability, as funding priorities can shift with changes in management.

State Budget Constraints: California’s state budget fluctuations impact the availability of funds for the project.

political Resistance: Strong opposition from certain political factions,citing cost overruns and questionable benefits,has hampered progress. Terms like “high-speed rail controversy” and “California infrastructure projects” frequently appear in related searches.

Land Acquisition & Environmental Concerns

Acquiring the necessary land for the rail line has proven to be a lengthy and expensive process.

Eminent Domain Disputes: Utilizing eminent domain to acquire land has faced legal challenges and public opposition.

Environmental Impact Assessments: Extensive environmental reviews and mitigation efforts have added to both the timeline and the cost.

Habitat Preservation: Concerns about the impact on sensitive ecosystems and wildlife habitats have required careful planning and mitigation strategies.

Construction Complexities & Delays

Building a high-speed rail line presents significant engineering and logistical challenges.

Tunneling & Bridge Construction: the terrain of California requires extensive tunneling and bridge construction, adding to the complexity and cost.

Supply Chain Disruptions: Global supply chain issues have impacted the availability of materials and equipment.

Labor Shortages: A shortage of skilled labor in the construction industry has contributed to delays.

The Future Outlook: What’s Next for the Project?

Despite the challenges, proponents of the project remain optimistic about its long-term potential. The revised strategy focuses on demonstrating success in the Central Valley to build momentum for future expansion.

Potential Expansion Scenarios

Several scenarios are being considered for expanding the high-speed rail network beyond the Central Valley.

1. Merced to san Francisco: Extending the line north to San Francisco remains a key long-term goal, but faces significant funding and logistical hurdles.
2. Bakersfield to Los Angeles: Connecting to Los Angeles