1 of 1
Story summary
- Independent Representative Kevin Kiley called the rail project's $231 billion estimate a “fiscal disaster” after the California High-Speed Rail Authority's 2026 draft projected costs far above the $33.5 billion approved in 2008.
- The Authority cut projected ridership from roughly 95 million annual passengers by 2030 to about 36 million by 2060.
- State Senator Tony Strickland and former peer-review chair Lou Thompson voiced skepticism about the cost surge, shifting scope, and no credible financing plan.
