$11B wasted: California builds less than 1/3 mile of useless rail.

California spent $11 billion of taxpayer money to build less than 1/3 of a mile of high speed rail that goes no where and nobody knows where all the money went pic.twitter.com/D7fCfnwyTw

— Darth Powell 🦈🇺🇲🇺🇦🇵🇱🇫🇮 (@GRomePow) May 26, 2024

Can you show me on the map all the completed lines? pic.twitter.com/8JM9m3ur2m

— Darth Powell 🦈🇺🇲🇺🇦🇵🇱🇫🇮 (@GRomePow) May 27, 2024

Here are some key points to consider:

1. Project Overview:
   • The California High-Speed Rail project aims to build an electric train connecting Los Angeles with the Central Valley and then San Francisco, reducing travel time to approximately two hours and 40 minutes.
   • However, despite starting in 2008, there is not a single mile of track laid yet¹.
2. Cost Estimates:
   • The latest estimates from the California High-Speed Rail Authority suggest that completing the entire system from LA to San Francisco will cost between $88 billion and $128 billion.
   • Inflation and higher construction costs have contributed to the high price tag¹.
   • A 2022 business plan report added an additional $5 billion to the budget, bringing the total projected cost to $105 billion².
3. Funding Challenges:
   • The project has spent $9.8 billion so far, primarily funded by the state of California (85%).
   • However, there is still a funding gap, and federal support is crucial for completion.
   • The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill allocated $66 billion for rail, but it was not specifically earmarked for California’s high-speed rail¹.
4. Progress Made:
   • Despite challenges, progress has been made. In California’s Central Valley, 119 miles are currently under construction.
   • The project recently celebrated its 10,000th construction worker on the job¹.