U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced an investigation into California's $3.1 billion federal grant for a high-speed rail project, citing severe mismanagement. Duffy emphasized that there is currently no feasible timeline for the project, originally intended to link Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours, due to skyrocketing costs. The project has faced significant funding challenges, and disruptions in federal money could exacerbate ongoing financial shortfalls, impacting essential components like electrical systems and train purchases. Governor Newsom's scaled-back vision for a starter line has also escalated in financial demands, facing a looming $6.5 billion deficit.
"The project is not going to happen," Duffy said at a news conference at Los Angeles Union Station. "There is no timeline in which you are going to have a high-speed rail that is going to go from Los Angeles to San Francisco."
Duffy noted that the costs of the project have tripled since then and that it was failing to achieve the goal.
Collection
[
|
...
]