According to a recent survey, a majority of Californians support the state’s high-speed rail project. Image: California High-Speed Rail Authority
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DOT Secretary Sean Duffy recently ordered the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a compliance review of the California high-speed rail project, which could lead to the Trump administration rescinding about $4 billion in funding that has already been awarded.
According to Trains.com, a majority of Californians support the project. A survey released the day before the Duffy announcement showed that 54% of those surveyed considered the project a good use of state money.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has gone after the California High-Speed Rail Authority. In 2019, in Trump’s first term, the Federal Railroad Administration cancelled $929 million in previously awarded funding for the project.
The move sets a dangerous precedent for other federally funded rail programs, such as Amtrak and the Gateway Tunnel between North Jersey and Manhattan.