Trump’s Transportation Chief Axes $4B for California’s “Train to Nowhere”

Newsom Sues as High-Speed Rail Faces Federal Funding Cut, Spotlighting Mismanagement

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy rescinded $4 billion in federal funding for California’s high-speed rail, a project he calls a “boondoggle” costing $15 billion over 16 years without laying a single track.

Governor Gavin Newsom, defending the rail as vital for Central Valley jobs, sued the Trump administration on July 17, 2025, alleging political retribution.

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Initially budgeted at $33 billion for a 2020 Los Angeles-San Francisco line, costs have soared to $135 billion for a scaled-back Merced-Bakersfield route.

Duffy’s op-ed in The Sacramento Bee on July 30 lambasts the project’s mismanagement, comparing its cost to 10 aircraft carriers.

He also cut $60 million for a Texas rail project, signaling broader scrutiny.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, highlights tensions between President Trump and Newsom, with implications for infrastructure and taxpayer accountability nationwide.