California has pulled the plug on a lawsuit that challenged the Trump administration’s decision to cancel more than $4 billion in federal grants for the state’s long-troubled high-speed rail project, a move that reframes the fight from courtroom combat to going it alone.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority, which filed the suit in July, said late Friday that it would abandon the case after concluding the federal government is “not a reliable, constructive, or trustworthy partner” in advancing high-speed rail in the state. The agency said it will proceed without federal funding, noting that only about 18% of total program spending has come from federal sources. Earlier this month, a judge rejected an effort to dismiss the lawsuit.
Federal Findings Fuel the Break
The decision comes against the backdrop of a blistering 315-page Federal Railroad Administration report issued in June, which found the project hampered by missed deadlines, budget gaps and questionable ridership forecasts.
The U.S. Transportation Department said Saturday that the FRA investigation showed that after more than 15 years, California’s rail authority “would be unable to deliver on their high speed rail promises on time or on budget.”
“American tax dollars will be spared from being wasted on this train to nowhere,” the department said, adding that funds would instead support projects aimed at improving the lives of rail passengers, drivers and pedestrians.
