The Trump administration wants to redistribute $2.4 billion it pulled from California's high-speed rail project as part of a new $5 billion program announced Monday to fund rail projects to boost passenger rail traffic nationwide.
The new program's rules for states and others wanting to participate remove any mention of diversity or climate change dating to the Biden administration. The new program will also put a priority on projects in areas with higher rates of birth and marriage and projects that improve safety at railroad crossings.
The Trump administration has removed climate change and so-called DEI language from other grant requirements, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took a jab at that Biden-era language and California Gov. Gavin Newsom's rail project in his announcement.
Our new National Railroad Partnership Program will emphasize safety – our number one priority – without the radical ... DEI and green grant requirements. Instead of wasting dollars on Governor Newsom's high-speed rail boondoggle, these targeted investments will improve the lives of rail passengers, local drivers, and pedestrians, Duffy said.
The biggest chunk of this money comes from the $4 billion that was pulled from the California project. The rest of the funding comes from previous announcements and this year’s budget.
President Donald Trump and Duffy have both criticized the California project for its cost overruns and delays that have kept the train connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles from becoming a reality.
California officials said they will fight the effort to redistribute money they believe should go to their project. They had already filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to withdraw federal funding from the rail project.
“The FRA’s decision to terminate federal funding for California’s high-speed rail was unlawful, unwarranted, and is being challenged in federal court. Now, their attempt to redirect a portion of that funding, currently the subject of litigation, is premature,” said Micah Flores, a spokesman for the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
The focus on areas with higher birth and marriage rates reflects Trump’s executive orders that prioritize spending benefiting American families, according to an FRA spokesman. Additionally, the Federal Railroad Administration stated that railroad crossings are critical to address as they lead to over 200 fatalities each year.
The administration also mentioned that it would prioritize enhancing train amenities for families. Applications for this funding are due by January 7.
