California sues government over canceled high speed rail funding
California made good on its threat to sue the Trump administration after nearly $1 billion of federal funding was withdrawn for the state’s high-speed rail project.
The Federal Railroad Administration said last week it was pulling the funding as the state ‘failed to make reasonable progress on the project.’
The funds were agreed way back in 2010 for a planned Los Angeles-San Francisco rail line.
The state had reigned in that plan saying it would ‘cost too much and take too long.’
Instead the state had planned a less ambitious first phase connecting cities in the Central Valley.
"The Trump administration’s action is illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week.
The lawsuit says the cancelation of funding is ‘a sharp departure from ordinary agency practice.’
It is a political decision it contends, ‘precipitated by President Trump’s overt hostility to California.’
California says more than $6 billion has already been spent on the project.
The administration also threatened to take action to recoup $2.5 billion previously awarded to the state for the project.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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