Feds Say California Bullet Train Has ‘No Viable Path,’ Threaten to Pull $4 Billion

A new Department of Transportation report criticizes California’s high-speed rail project, calling it a mismanaged ‘boondoggle.’

A full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train at the California Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 26, 2015. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

California’s long-delayed high-speed rail project is in default of federal grant agreements and may soon lose more than $4 billion in funding, the U.S. Department of Transportation said on June 4.

A report released by the department accuses the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) of chronic mismanagement, unrealistic projections, and failure to meet key obligations, despite receiving billions in taxpayer money.