Story perspectives

Merced-Bakersfield Rail Scaled Back, Costs Soar to $215 B

5/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

The rail plan is now a single-track line with platforms, abandoning the original two-track downtown design.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office says the line may stop 3.5 miles south of downtown Merced and six miles north of Bakersfield station.
Voters approved $33 billion in 2008, with the estimate now listing costs at $128 billion.
Internal state documents warn the total could exceed $215 billion, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to face a cut threatening completion.

History

Historical Context

California’s 1990 Proposition 108 approved a $3 billion transportation bond, prompting Caltrans to buy new locomotives and expand Amtrak California routes. That rail funding later grew into a statewide rail project that now faces significant cost overruns. Today legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom wrestle with budget pressures to keep the plan viable.

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Story summary

The rail plan is now a single-track line with platforms, abandoning the original two-track downtown design.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office says the line may stop 3.5 miles south of downtown Merced and six miles north of Bakersfield station.
Voters approved $33 billion in 2008, with the estimate now listing costs at $128 billion.
Internal state documents warn the total could exceed $215 billion, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to face a cut threatening completion.

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