Overview
- The California High‑Speed Rail Authority, in a 60 Minutes segment aired Sunday, put the Los Angeles–San Francisco build at about $125–126 billion and described plans to start laying track on the Bakersfield–Merced segment.
- Nearly two decades after voters approved the line, the state has downsized the first phase to a Central Valley link with the earliest opening targeted for 2033.
- Officials point to years of environmental reviews, lawsuits, and negotiations over roughly 3,000 land parcels as causes of delay that also raised labor and construction costs.
- The higher price leaves an estimated $90 billion shortfall after the Trump administration canceled $4 billion in grants in 2025, and state leaders say only the Central Valley stretch can move ahead without new federal money.
- Private operator Brightline is pursuing a separate Los Angeles–Las Vegas line targeting late 2029 at up to 200 mph, though weak Florida results and a debt downgrade have fueled doubts about private rail finances and safety.