California Lawmakers Slam Newsom for Trying to Hide High Speed Rail Fiasco

Proposed legislation would shield audit records as $215 million-per-mile project costs balloon

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Democratic lawmakers in California are criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom for attempting to pass legislation that would hide records related to the state's troubled High Speed Rail project, which has seen costs skyrocket to an estimated $135 billion. The project, initially approved by voters in 2008 at a projected cost of $33 billion, has faced repeated delays and budget overruns, with the current Central Valley segment alone costing $36.7 billion. Critics say the full route connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco is increasingly unlikely to ever be completed.

Why it matters

The High Speed Rail project has become a major political and fiscal headache for California, with ballooning costs that have drawn the ire of lawmakers and the public. The proposed legislation to shield audit records from public view is seen as an attempt by the Newsom administration to conceal the true scale of the project's failures, at a time when there are growing calls for transparency and accountability.

The details

Records obtained by The California Post show that construction on the 171-mile Central Valley route running between Merced and Bakersfield has included 58 separate projects over the past eight years, with an estimated cost of $215 million per mile. Central Valley lawmakers have likened the incomplete concrete structures to 'Stonehenge', and say their constituents are furious about the waste. The initial $33 billion price tag has since ballooned to $36.7 billion for just the reduced Central Valley segment, which is now projected to open in 2032 and serve a combined population of roughly 500,000 in Merced and Bakersfield - meaning the cost works out to about $22,000 per person.

  • The High Speed Rail project was initially approved by California voters in November 2008.
  • The state is now projecting the reduced Central Valley line between Merced and Bakersfield to open in 2032.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California who is pushing legislation to shield High Speed Rail audit records from public scrutiny.

Alexandra Macedo

A Central Valley lawmaker who has criticized the High Speed Rail project as a waste of taxpayer money.

Kevin Kiley

A longtime critic of the High Speed Rail project who has called it the "worst public infrastructure failure in US history".

Lori Wilson

The chair of the California State Transportation Committee who has introduced a bill to allow the High Speed Rail Inspector General to withhold audit reports.

Ian Choudri

The CEO of the California High Speed Rail Authority.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“What have we gotten for those $15 billion? Lots of fancy videos and graphics meant to convince you this is still a viable project.”

— Alexandra Macedo, Central Valley Lawmaker (The California Post)

“At the very moment we finally start ramping up efforts to figure out what happened to all this money, they're taking extraordinary action to hide records related to High Speed Rail.”

— Kevin Kiley, Longtime Critic of High Speed Rail Project (The Post)

“We want to know where our taxpayer dollars are going. And now the California Legislature is hearing that cry and saying, 'Let's hide more information from taxpayers'.”

— Alexandra Macedo, Central Valley Lawmaker (The California Post)

“We're going to see precisely what you see here — real tracks, real progress.”

— Gavin Newsom (Governor Gavin Newsom's Office)

“Every time they try to highlight some milestone, it only underscores what a total disaster this has been.”

— Kevin Kiley, Longtime Critic of High Speed Rail Project (The Post)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the proposed legislation that would shield High Speed Rail audit records from public scrutiny.

The takeaway

The California High Speed Rail project has become a massive financial and political quagmire, with costs spiraling out of control and lawmakers now attempting to conceal the true scale of the project's failures from the public. This case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in major infrastructure projects, as well as the challenges of delivering on ambitious transportation plans in the face of ballooning budgets and political opposition.