‘A Boondoggle’: California Abandons Its High-Speed Rail Lawsuit Against The Trump Admin

California dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to halt billions in federal funding toward the state’s high-speed rail project last week, as the state has sued the administration dozens of times this year already.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) previously nixed $4 billion for the effort in July amid concerns about the timeline and cost. The project had already cost roughly $15 billion over the span of 16 years. The Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean Duffy, sees the lawsuit’s end as a victory for the administration.

“An exhaustive investigation by the FRA exposed that even after a decade and a half, CHSRA would be unable to deliver on their high speed rail promises on time or on budget,” a DOT spokesperson said in a statement to The Daily Wire.

“Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Duffy, American tax dollars will be spared from being wasted on this train to nowhere and will instead support real projects that improve the lives of rail passengers, local drivers, and pedestrians,” the statement added.

The project was supposed to be completed in 2020, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported in February. The estimated cost has surged from $33 billion at its inception in 2008 to a whopping $106 billion.

The idea was first proposed by former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in 1979. An initial $1.25 billion for bonds for the high-speed rail was signed by Brown after being cleared by the state legislature in 1982, the Washington Post reported over four decades ago.

A spokesperson for the California High-Speed Rail Authority said that the decision is meant to show that the administration is “not a reliable, constructive, or trustworthy partner” for the effort, which DOT has dubbed a “boondoggle” and “fantasy.”

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“The Federal Railroad Administration stated that all work performed by the Authority – whether undertaken as part of cooperative agreements or otherwise – remains ‘at risk’ and may not receive funding,” the statement partially read.

However, it was noted that only 18% of the program is federally funded, meaning that it can move forward with the project. Voters green-lighted the project in 2008, and construction began in 2015.

The goal of the project is to expedite travel between Northern and Southern California, intending to reduce travel time between Los Angeles and the Bay Area to under three hours. Minimal progress has been achieved so far, except for some development in Central California between Merced and Bakersfield. DOT cited a state-level inspector general report from February that said the authority might not complete that segment by the 2033 goal.

“We also see this moment as a new opportunity. Federal requirements have, at times, hindered project delivery by adding cost and delays without adding value – creating inefficiencies, constraining innovation, and slowing construction,” the statement continued. “Moving forward without the Trump administration’s involvement allows the Authority to pursue proven global best practices used successfully by modern high-speed rail systems around the world.”