High-Speed Rail Projects Get $6 Billion of Federal Funding
The White House revealed last week that it will give a total of $6 billion to help build two high-speed electric rail routes.
The federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area and another $3.1 billion for an initial segment of California’s publicly-funded route that aims to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The high-speed rail projects are part of $8.2 billion in new grants for a pipeline of projects nationwide. The White House says this is the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak more than 50 years ago.
The first $3 billion grant is for the project known as Brightline West, a new 218-mile intercity passenger system connecting Las Vegas and Southern California. Brightline is the only private intercity passenger railroad in the country, which already operates high-speed service between Miami and Orlando. The total cost of the project is estimated at $12 billion, and the company hopes to open the line in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The other grant for $3.1 billion will go to an ambitious plan to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. The project has already seen numerous delays and cost overruns. The estimated cost of the full project was originally estimated at $33 billion. It has now jumped to over $100 billion. The government grant will go toward the construction of a 171-mile segment between Merced and Bakersfield in California’s Central Valley.
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$31 billion in tax dollars lit on fire for a train that goes form nowhere to nowhere in Californian. 4100 billion in otal.
politicians have no respect for your hard earned money.
Can’t argue with your comment. So true.