House oversight committee opened an investigation into whether California High-Speed Rail Authority knowingly misrepresented ridership projections and financial outlooks to secure federal funding. Chair James Comer requested a staff briefing and all communications and records about federal funding and analyses of the project's viability. Comer alleged repeated use of misleading ridership projections despite expert warnings. The authority called the probe baseless and said CEO Ian Choudri had addressed the claims as cherrypicked and out-of-date. The Trump administration last month withdrew $4 billion earmarked for Central Valley construction after a months-long review that concluded there was no viable path forward.
A bipartisan congressional committee is investigating whether California's High-Speed Rail Authority knowingly misrepresented ridership projections and financial outlooks, as alleged by the Trump administration, to secure federal funding. In a letter sent to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chair James Comer (R-KY) requested a staff briefing and all communications and records about federal funding for the high-speed rail project and any analysis over the train's viability.
"The Authority's apparent repeated use of misleading ridership projections, despite longstanding warnings from experts, raises serious questions about whether funds were allocated under false pretenses," Comer wrote. Comer's letter copied Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee who has also voiced skepticism about the project. Garcia, whose districts represent communities in Southern California, was not immediately available for comment.
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