FRESNO, CA (KMJ) Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a report Wednesday critical of California’s embattled High Speed Rail Project. With billions of taxpayer dollars on the line, the clock is ticking for the bullet train boss to respond.
In an appearance on Fox News, Duffy said “We have a 300 page report that basically says the timelines and the budget for high speed rail – they can’t meet them. We have $4 billion (of federal funds) to invest in this project, but we don’t want to invest in boondoggles.”
In a letter to CHSRA’s CEO, Ian Choudri, the FRA noted its report identified a trail of project delays, mismanagement, waste, and skyrocketing costs. The project has received approximately $6.9 billion in federal dollars in roughly fifteen years but has not laid a single high-speed track. Even with continued federal support, the project is far short of the funding needed to finish just a fraction of the track.
Duffy gave Choudri 37 days to respond to the report, after which $4 billion in grants could be terminated, he said.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE LETTER FROM SEC. DUFFY TO CHSRA CEO IAN CHOUDRI
“I promised the American people we would be good stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars. This report exposes a cold, hard truth: CHSRA has no viable path to complete this project on time or on budget. CHSRA is on notice — If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve President Trump’s vision of building great, big, beautiful things again,” said Sec. Duffy. “Our country deserves high-speed rail that makes us proud – not boondoogle trains to nowhere.”
Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif) fired back in a statement, “President Trump just ripped roughly $4 billion from California’s High-Speed Rail (CAHSR). This undermines over 15,000 jobs created, growing local economies, and connecting both rural and urban communities alike. He doesn’t understand the San Joaquin Valley or the legal challenges that have delayed this project. Instead, he is stalling progress and killing good-paying jobs to score political points. While President Trump remains stuck in the past, the people of California and the Valley are focused on building a cleaner, more connected future through modern rail infrastructure“.
Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 to cover one-third of the estimated cost of building the rail line, which would connect Los Angeles to San Francisco, with the aim of having trains up and running by 2020.
“We will look for good projects to invest in, but this does not appear to be one of them” Sec. Duffy concluded.
