For a project built around speed, California’s high-speed rail has become a lesson in delay.
California voters approved the state’s high-speed rail project in 2008. At the time, the price tag was projected at about $33 billion. Today, the estimated cost has ballooned to approximately $126 billion—nearly four times the original estimate.
Nearly two decades later, California still hasn’t purchased a single high-speed train. And they have no one to blame but California leaders, like Governor Gavin Newsom, for missing deadlines that cost the state $4 billion in federal backing.
Here’s a timeline of the costly missteps of the boondoggle:
1996 – California creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to plan a statewide bullet train.
November 2008 – California voters approve Proposition 1A, authorizing nearly $10 billion in bonds. The project is sold as a $33 billion system connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles with trains traveling up to 220 mph.
2010 – The Obama administration awards billions in federal stimulus funding to launch construction.
2012 – Governor Jerry Brown signs legislation authorizing construction. The completion target begins slipping.
2015 – Groundbreaking begins in the Central Valley. Construction starts—but no track is laid for passenger service.
2019 – Governor Gavin Newsom dramatically scales back the vision, saying there is no path to complete the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles line with available funding. The focus shifts to a Merced-to-Bakersfield segment.
2020-2025 – Projected completion dates continue to slip, while estimated costs climb from $33 billion to roughly $126 billion.
December 31, 2024 – Missed Deadline #1: The High-Speed Rail Authority fails to award a contract to purchase the trains needed to operate the system.
December 1, 2025 – Missed Deadline #2: After assuring a federal judge it would meet a new deadline to buy the trains, California misses that deadline as well. The procurement date becomes “to be determined.”
2026 – California has spent about $15 billion, but:
- No high-speed trains have been purchased.
- No high-speed rail service is operating.
- The full San Francisco-to-Los Angeles system remains unfunded.
- The estimated total cost is now approximately $126 billion.
The Bottom Line
Original promise to voters (2008):
- Cost: $33 billion
- Completion: Around 2020
- Statewide San Francisco-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail
Current reality (2026):
- Estimated cost: About $126 billion
- Money spent: About $15 billion
- Two missed train procurement deadlines
- No trains purchased
- No passenger service
- Current target: Limited service between Merced and Bakersfield around 2033, with the full statewide system still lacking secured funding.
This story was compiled with help from AI.
