California high-speed rail update: Still broke

Published August 14, 2026 6:45am ET



The inspector general for California‘s high-speed rail project has an update: The project is going broke (again), is being delayed (again), and is not being transparent with the public (again).

Benjamin Belnap’s report highlighted several missing details in the project’s 2026 business plan and concluded that the project would again run out of money as early as December 2027. This after having spent $18 billion, with another $18 billion (at least) needed to finish the first segment of the line and another $90 billion to $195 billion after that to complete the promised San Francisco-to-Los Angeles line.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.