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High-speed rail in California is a good idea. Unfortunately, it’s done in a terrible way. The Trump administration is right to point out that money is not being used very well. Because it’s not, we know it. We’ve known it for years.
The original idea for the California high-speed rail line was to run from Los Angeles to San Francisco within three hours. That’s a very attractive selling point. But 20 years later, after about $15 billion, we were in the middle of a bad decision that seemed to be getting worse, years after our original plan.
Transport Secretary blows up high-speed rail spending in California and begins investigation
Rather than the run from San Francisco to LA, what we’re looking at is the fast run from Bakersfield to Merced. Look, Merced is a lovely town. I like Merced. But not many Angelenos want to get there. And certainly you don’t get there regularly. So this is a problem from the start.
I ride a French high-speed train. I ride a high-speed train in Japan. It is a great mode of transportation and a great alternative to air travel. The trick is that you have to get it right. And that means people have to go from where they want to go to where they want to go. This is not really rocket science.
This map shows the complete “Phase 1” of the California high-speed rail that connects the Bay Area to Los Angeles County and Anaheim.
In fact, it was part of the original pitch of this. We’re going from one city to another, San Francisco. Both of these are extremely popular places. That’s a good selling point. It didn’t work that way.
So, what do we do? First of all, don’t leave. The California high speed rail was a good idea. That’s still a good idea. But let’s reduce our losses.
All of this in Central Valley is nonsense. It doesn’t make any sense economically. It doesn’t talk about the future of our state. It’s billions of dollars to go to something no one particularly wants.
The aerial image shows the construction work on the Hanford viaduct, the largest high-speed rail structure in the Central Valley, as part of Hanford’s California High Speed Rail Project on February 12, 2025. The length of the structure is over 6,000 feet. (Getty Images)
Let’s go back to the original idea: from LA to San Francisco Run. This means passing through land that is not easy to obtain. And that’s why we have prominent domain laws. The government cannot steal, not provide property for greater profits. That’s what a prominent domain intends, and this is exactly the kind of situation in which it is necessary.
Will high-speed rail lines in California happen anytime soon? Obviously not that. Is that a good idea? Yes, as long as we do it right.
The rendering shows the high-speed train as you enter the proposed Fresno station. (Getty Images)
It’s been 20 years since the idea first came up, and now we’re seeing where we are. But once you go back and start again, you can at least get on the right track. It’s wise to start with the Las Vegas run from LA as a proof of concept. It’s about showing everyone how this works and, economically speaking, how profitable it will come from it. You can then build LA on the San Francisco Run.
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