California's high-speed rail project may soon face a larger price and $10.2 billion budget gap, even larger than lawmakers expected two months ago, as project leaders hope to complete the first part between Bakersfield and Mercedes. [emphasis, links added]
The update was first reported by KCRA 3 on Monday, providing transportation advisers and some state legislators later last week after the governor proposed his proposed state spending plan for the upcoming year.
According to the High Speed High Speed Project, California 2024 2024 2024 project leaders have been focusing on completing the 171-mile Bakersfield-to-Merced Line, with taxpayers estimated to cost $35.3 billion and completed the completion date sometime between 2030 and 2033.
The consultant has now been notified that documents obtained by KCRA 3 show that the Bakersfield-to-Merced project is estimated to be able to add $3.2 billion to a total of $38.5 billion.
In the project update report, the project leader noted that inflation and costs of certain materials (such as concrete and copper) increased because of possible reasons for the increase. A spokesperson for the High-speed Railway Administration confirmed the information.
The warning for additional costs was issued after lawmakers learned earlier this spring that the project would need $7 billion to move forward by next summer.
“The high-speed rail project continues to suffer self-inflicted wounds, and I'm very troubled by knowing this latest information, which further erodes the public's trust in the proposed project,” said Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican of Huntington Beach.
“I urge my colleagues in the Senate… to have a serious conversation about how we stop this failed project because our country really has no money to waste, and Californians are sensitive to government waste” Strickland said.
Senator David Cortese, a Democratic San Jose who leads the Senate Transportation Committee, has not commented so far.
Bakersfield to Merced is part of the project, which was originally recommended to voters in 2008 on a $40 billion bullet train that could bring riders from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Since then, the original vision’s price tag has reached at least $100 billion, and most of the funds have not yet been realized.
Project leaders are expected to provide complete updates on costs and schedules in the summer of 2025.
California taxpayers have spent about $14 billion on the project so far and have received some federal help.
Reading break at KCRA
