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California Governor Gavin Newsom recently faced criticism after posing in front of a freight train to highlight advancements in the long-delayed High Speed Rail project, which remains years away from transporting passengers. The project is notably expensive, with costs reaching approximately $215 million per mile for the Central Valley segment.
Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, who serves parts of the Central Valley, expressed skepticism over the governor’s gesture. “He stands in front of a freight train saying ‘it’s coming’ — no, sir, it’s not,” she remarked. “Your privilege train is a money pit and a boondoggle.”
On Tuesday, Governor Newsom visited Kern County to mark the completion of a railhead facility. He referred to this milestone as a “critical step in the track-laying stage” in an official statement.
To date, approximately $15 billion has been invested in the High Speed Rail project. This investment has produced a network of viaducts, overpasses, and various other structures throughout the Central Valley, as revealed by images obtained by The Post.
In a video shared on social media, Newsom proudly announced, “We’re now in the process of starting to lay track,” as he gestured towards a freight train in Wasco.
“We’re going to see precisely what you see here: real track, real progress.”
Social media critics were quick to mock the use of an unrelated train as a prop for the video.
“Hilarious for Gavin to be pointing to and using a regular train as a prop in his high speed rail – because the high speed rail boondoggle has no trains and no tracks,” noted Republican pundit Matt Whitlock.
“After 10 years and a $135 billion price tag of wasteful spending for taxpayers, [Newsom] is standing in front of a freight train that’s not moving and touting his high-speed rail scam as a success,” wrote Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
The fast rail project was first approved by voters in 2008 and billed as a train connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco as a cost of about $30 billion to $35 billion. It has since been plagued by delays and cost overruns, with more recent estimates pegging the total cost at $135 billion.
The first segment, connecting Merced and Bakersfield, will cost roughly $36 billion and open for passengers in 2032, according to state authorities. Newsom and the Legislature last year committed $1 billion annually through 2045 to the fast rail project through the state’s cap-and-invest program.
Macedo said her rural constituents were outraged about the billions spent as basic needs like safe roads and clean water are ignored.
”What have we gotten for those $15 billion? Lots of fancy videos and graphics meant to convince you this is still a viable project,” she said.