Governor Newsom responds to Trump’s latest gift to China: Defunding America’s only high-speed rail

In January, Governor Newsom joined California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri, local leaders and workers just outside of Bakersfield to break ground on the railhead. This allows the Authority to begin laying track, which is one of the last steps in construction – occurring only after land acquisition, environmental clearances, and completion of supporting structures such as bridges, overpasses, and viaducts.

“Canceling these grants without cause isn’t just wrong — it’s illegal,” said CEO Choudri. “These are legally binding agreements, and the Authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025. America’s only high-speed rail project underway is fast approaching the track-laying phase, with 171 miles under active construction and design, 15,500 jobs created, and more than 50 major structures completed. This is no time for Washington to walk away on America’s transportation future.”

In the last year, high-speed rail has marked significant progress – with all environmental reviews spanning 463 miles from Los Angeles to the Bay Area complete, the electrification of Caltrain complete, trainset selection underway, station and track construction on deck, continued work with partner rail systems to create a southwest regional high-speed rail network, and more than 15,000 good paying jobs created. Passenger service is expected in the coming years, between 2030 and 2033.

High speed rail is a key part of Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state.