Trump administration pulls $4bn in funds for high-speed rail in California

US president blasts long-delayed task to nexus Los Angeles and San Francisco arsenic a ‘boondoggle’ and a ‘train to nowhere’.

United States President Donald Trump has pulled the plug connected $4bn successful backing for a long-delayed high-speed obstruction enactment successful California, blasting the task arsenic a “boondoggle” and a “train to nowhere”.

Trump said successful a societal media station connected Wednesday that helium had “freed” taxpayers from the “disastrously overpriced” projected railway linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, which has been plagued by delays and outgo overruns.

“This boondoggle, led by the incompetent Governor of California, Gavin Newscum, has outgo Taxpayers Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we person received NOTHING successful instrumentality but Cost Overruns,” Trump wrote connected Truth Social, utilizing a nickname helium commonly deploys to mock the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.

“The Railroad we were promised inactive does not exist, and ne'er will.”

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Democrats of wasting taxpayers’ wealth and said national wealth was not a “blank cheque”.

“It’s clip for this boondoggle to die,” Duffy said successful a statement.

Newsom slammed the Trump administration’s determination arsenic amerciable and said the authorities would enactment “all options connected the table” to reason the backing cut.

“Trump wants to manus China the aboriginal and wantonness the Central Valley. We won’t fto him,” Newsom said successful a statement.

The 1,249km (776-mile) obstruction line, which was approved by California voters successful a 2008 plebiscite, was initially envisaged for completion successful 2020 astatine a outgo of $33bn.

The project’s estimated outgo has since ballooned to $89bn to $128bn, with services not expected to statesman until 2033 astatine the earliest.

The US presently does not person a high-speed obstruction service, but a 354km (220-mile) high-speed nexus betwixt Los Angeles and Las Vegas is scheduled to statesman operations successful 2028.