California's High-Speed Rail Cost Grows by About $2 Billion
- Bullet train line now expected to cost as much as $79 billion
- Initial segment cost grew to $12.4 billion from $10.6 billion
The cost of California’s controversial high-speed rail project grew to $79 billion, a development that renewed calls for it to end and emboldened opponents such as President Donald Trump, whose administration is already seeking to cancel and claw back federal grants.
The segment currently under construction in the state’s agricultural region known as the Central Valley is now expected to cost $12.4 billion, up from $10.6 billion, according to a released Wednesday by the High-Speed Rail Authority. The state agency attributed the higher cost to factors such as changes in the scope and planning for contingencies. Including a extension to Bakersfield and Merced, as Governor Gavin Newsom in February announced, the Central Valley segment is now projected to cost about $20.4 billion.