California’s High-Speed Rail Project to Cost Nearly $10 Billion More

Cement is laid on the San Joaquin River viaduct portion of the high-speed rail line being built in Fresno, Calif., on May 8, 2019, amid ongoing construction of the railway in the state's Central and San Joaquin Valleys. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

High inflation and supply chain issues are some of the reasons California’s long-delayed high-speed rail system will cost up to nearly $10 billion more to complete, agency officials reported (pdf) this week.

The California High Speed Rail Authority now estimates the bullet train will cost up to nearly $128 billion, according to the report published March 1. Officials said they also expect fewer riders on the 500-mile system from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim.