California high-speed rail chief takes leave after arrest over domestic violence allegations

"The top official at a California agency running the state's long-delayed bullet train project is taking a leave of absence after he was arrested earlier this month over allegations of domestic violence, although prosecutors say they aren't pressing charges. The events bring further unwanted attention to the nation's largest infrastructure project, which was already under scrutiny for holdups and skyrocketing costs and saw its federal funding cut by the Trump administration last year."

"Ian Choudri was tasked in 2024 with reinvigorating the project as CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority after working on similar systems in Europe. California voters initially approved $10 billion in bonds in 2008 to cover about a third of the cost. The link between San Francisco to Los Angeles was supposed to be finished by 2020, but officials now say it could cost more than $120 billion and that just the Central Valley section could open by 2032."

"Choudri was arrested Feb. 4 in the city of Folsom, outside Sacramento, police Lt. Lou Wright said. The Folsom Police Department offered no additional details about what happened. There wasn't enough evidence to file charges against Choudri, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said, after law enforcement arrested him and his fiancee but didn't find injuries on either person. Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence incredibly seriously, it said in a statement."

California's high-speed rail project faces renewed scrutiny as CEO Ian Choudri takes a short leave after a Feb. 4 arrest on allegations of domestic violence, with prosecutors declining to file charges. The project already suffered delays, cost increases and federal funding cuts. Voters approved $10 billion in bonds in 2008; the San Francisco–Los Angeles link was originally planned for 2020 but estimates now exceed $120 billion and only the Central Valley segment may open by 2032. The Folsom Police Department provided few details and the Sacramento County DA found insufficient evidence. Choudri's attorney said the leave allows family time to heal and the board space for review.

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