California’s High-Speed Rail Needs Another $7 Billion Before June 2026

The budget gap could grow if federal funds are halted, project leaders say. The rail line’s cost, originally set at $33 billion, has ballooned to $128 billion.

A section of bridgework in Madera County that was completed in May 2023 was touted as the first major milestone of the California High-Speed Rail Project. California High Speed Rail Authority

California’s high-speed rail project has again come up short, needing an additional $7 billion by June 2026, and lawmakers are seeking solutions as continued federal support remains in peril, according to a budget hearing held on March 26.

The money is needed by June 2026 to begin the long-delayed project’s first stretch through the state’s central region from Merced to Bakersfield—which is about one-third of the route.