Latest news with #HighSpeedRail
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Shock update on California's High-Speed Rail project - as insane amount of taxpayer money spent is revealed
The Trump administration is considering pulling federal funding from California 's High-Speed Rail project after the US Department of Transportation revealed no track has been laid despite nearly $7 billion in taxpayer funds spent over 15 years. The ambitious project, initially approved by voters in 2008 with a $10 billion budget, aimed to connect major cities in California, however, costs have escalated dramatically, with the total projected cost now ranging from $89 billion to $128 billion. The Federal Railroad Administration has since issued a scathing 315-page report which cites key issues with the troubled project including missed deadlines, budget overruns and unreliable ridership projections. The White House has now initiated a review to determine whether to rescind an additional $4 billion in federal grants allocated for the project's completion. The embattled rail line faces further roadblocks with a $7 billion funding gap for the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, even before the Trump administration considers pulling the $4 billion in federal funds. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the years-long project, claiming there is 'no viable path' for the multi-billion dollar project's completion. 'This report exposes a cold, hard truth: CHSRA has no viable path to complete this project on time or on budget,' Duffy said. The entire San Francisco-to-Los Angeles project was initially supposed to be completed by 2020 for $33 billion, Reuters reported - but the project is far from completion of any phase. The Transportation Secretary emphasized that if the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) cannot demonstrate progress, the federal government may redirect funds to other infrastructure projects. 'CHSRA is on notice - If they can't deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve President Trump's vision of building great, big, beautiful things again,' he said. 'Our country deserves high-speed rail that makes us proud - not boondoggle trains to nowhere.' In response, CHSRA defended the project, asserting that over 15,000 jobs have been created and 119 miles are under active construction. 'There is active civil construction along 119 miles in the Central Valley, resulting in over 15,000 construction jobs, and design and pre-construction activities are underway on the extensions to Merced and Bakersfield totaling 171 miles,' as per a CHSRA statement. The federal government has given California until mid-July to respond to the review - if the CHSRA fails to provide satisfactory evidence of progress, the $4 billion in federal grants may be rescinded. In 2021, then-President Joe Biden restored a $929 million grant for the high-speed rail, funds which Trump had revoked in 2019 after he called the project a 'disaster,' Reuters reported. Now, all eyes are on the Golden State's response and whether the innovative rail project can overcome its financial and logistical challenges. The California High-Speed Rail System is a planned two-phase 800-mile system with speeds of up to 220 miles per hour that aims to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim and in the second phase extend north to Sacramento and south to San Diego.
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Tropicana sees sustained earnings with RM2.1bil unbilled sales
KUALA LUMPUR: Tropicana Corp Bhd 's unbilled sales of RM2.1bil as at March 31 place the company in a comfortable position to deliver sustainable earnings. The property developer believes that the demand for properties in prime locations in Tropicana's established, mature and developing townships will persist, with attractive pricing and various promotional packages. 'Further, the group expects improved sales especially for its properties in Johor, as a result of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project, as well as the positive growth effects from the possible resuscitation of the High Speed Rail project. 'Premised on the expected demand, the group will continue to launch its properties at strategic locations across the Klang Valley, Genting Highlands, Northern and Southern Regions,' Tropicana said in the notes accompanying its financial results. In the first quarter ended March 31, Tropicana posted a net profit of RM1.3mil, or earnings per share 0.05 sen, compared with a net loss of RM9.08mil, or loss per share of 0.40 sen. Revenue for the quarter stood at RM260.4mil, down 10.6% from RM291.3mil. Tropicana said it will continue to leverage on its various sales initiatives and marketing campaigns to secure more sales and therefore remaining positive and confident on the long-term prospects of its property development business. In addition, the group will continue to develop and market its properties located at various strategic locations, which will in turn, translates to higher sales and positive contributions to the future earnings of the group. Tropicana's current landbank stood at 1,336.1 acres, with a total potential gross development value (GDV) of RM168.4bil.
Free Malaysia Today
28-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Federal Court dismisses bid for leave to appeal HSR case
On Jan 1, 2021, Malaysia and Singapore announced the termination of the 350km high-speed rail project. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Federal Court today dismissed Hatta Sanuri's application for leave to appeal in his attempt to reinstate a lawsuit challenging the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project. A three-member bench comprising Justices Zabariah Yusof, Abu Bakar Jais and Hanipah Farikullah unanimously ruled that the legal questions posed failed to meet the threshold under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964. Delivering the court's decision, Zabariah held that the matter was interlocutory in nature and did not involve any novel legal issue or question of public importance. She noted that the issues raised, specifically those relating to locus standi and justiciability, had been conclusively settled in existing case law. She also said the court viewed frivolous legal claims with seriousness and observed that the questions of law submitted were verbose and lacked precision. 'If the questions were drafted well, then maybe we could ventilate,' said Zabariah in dismissing Hatta's application for leave, with no order as to costs. This decision brings to an end Hatta's legal challenge against the government, former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin, former economic affairs minister Mustapa Mohamed and former transport minister Wee Ka Siong. Hatta had sought leave to appeal the Court of Appeal's decision on Jan 16, 2024, which upheld the High Court's ruling that his suit was non-justiciable and disclosed no reasonable cause of action. Hatta filed the suit on his behalf and on behalf of over 32 million Malaysians allegedly affected by the cancellation of the project on Dec 30, 2022. In the statement of claim, he sought an order for the court to declare the cancellation of the project null and void, as well as for all the defendants to pay RM1 million in compensation to him and all Malaysians for wrongfully and negligently cancelling the HSR project. On Jan 1, 2021, Malaysia and Singapore announced the termination of the 350km project after the two countries failed to reach an agreement on changes proposed by Malaysia before the project agreement expired on Dec 31, 2020. The project was expected to provide direct travel between Malaysia and Singapore, with a travelling time of 90 minutes from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. Hatta was represented by counsel Mohaji Selamat, while senior federal counsel Donald Joseph Franklin appeared on behalf of the government.
News18
25-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Bullet Train May Have First Run In Gujarat By 2028, Reach Mumbai By 2030
Last Updated: As per a document accessed by News18, a 30-year-long assessment of ridership on the high-speed train service has been sought The bullet train could run in Gujarat by 2028 between Sabarmati and Vapi and then in the full 508-km section from Ahmedabad to Mumbai by 2030, indicates a document accessed exclusively by CNN-News18. The National High Speed Rail Authority (NHSRCL) is earmarking a ridership survey to determine the fare and traffic projections for this bullet train. As per the document, the ridership assessment has been sought for 2028 for the Sabarmati-Vapi section in Gujarat and for the base year 2030, 'the first year of operation" for the entire section between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. A 30-year-long assessment of ridership on the bullet train has been sought. The under-construction Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor would be passing through Mumbai-Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Thane, Virar, and Boisar in Maharashtra and Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati in Gujarat—a total of about 508 km. CNN-News18 earlier reported that the train could run first in the Gujarat section since that is on the fast track to completion, while the progress in Maharashtra has been slow due to the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi regime putting off the project for almost three years. The central government has so far not announced any official date for the commencement of operations for this high-speed train. The train would be ushering India into the category of select countries of the world (about 15) using a high-speed railway system. The project, apart from being a technological marvel, would afford many other quantifiable benefits. Progress so far Officials say the project would contribute to savings in travel time, vehicle operation cost, reduction in pollution, job creation, reduction in accidents/enhanced safety, imported fuel substitution, and reduction in pollutants. The project would also boost the infrastructure and further add to the growth of the economy, they maintain. How will ridership survey help? The ridership survey to be conducted by NHSCRL would assess the existing traffic characteristics of the study area and estimate the travel demand along the under-construction corridor. The travel demand assessment would include optimal fare where the overall revenue is maximised, ridership assessment for the above fare level, projected annual revenue, station loads with peak hour footfalls, and customer segmentation based on passenger profile (age, income, occupation, purpose of trip, etc). The survey will be carried out along the major arterial network in the study area, mainly comprising national highways and expressways. It will estimate the expected shift from the existing modes (car, taxi, rail, bus, train—AC class—and airlines) to high-speed rail and the key factors responsible for the shift. Population of the areas in the influence of the high-speed train route and traffic data from the toll plazas operating on the national highways and expressways running along the new train corridor route will also be sought. First Published: May 25, 2025, 08:00 IST
Fox News
14-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Blue city's undergrounding project to take hundreds of years to complete
The city of Pasadena in California is undertaking a massive public infrastructure project that will see all of its overhead utility lines buried underground, but the work will take another 500 years to complete – more than twice the amount of time the United States has existed as a country – even though it began more than 50 years ago. Known as the Underground Utility Program, or "undergrounding," the project is unmatched in U.S. public infrastructure projects in terms of a projected timeline, raising questions about government efficiency in public works. The undergrounding program aims to restore the area's scenic views of the San Gabriel Mountains and make streets safe from falling utility poles and their associated hazards. For instance, downed power lines from high winds caused significant damage in this year's L.A. fires, intensifying discussions about the need to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risks. Portions of Pasadena, located in the northeast of Los Angeles, were destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Pasadena's undergrounding program was envisioned decades ago and work started in 1968. However, the project is moving at a glacial pace of around 0.5 to 0.7 miles per year, according to the Pasadena Water and Power Department. Since its inception, the municipally-owned Pasadena Water and Power has been removing overhead electric, telephone and cable TV utility lines from more than 46 miles of major arterial streets, which officials have already hailed for restoring Pasadena's trademark mountain views while beautifying and enhancing the character of local neighborhoods. The city also cites the safety benefits, with pedestrians and motorists being safeguarded from dangerously falling utility poles while the project also upgrades and expands the city's power grid. But there is much more work to be done, and it's likely that most of the city's 140,000 residents won't be around to even see the current phase completed. That's because Category 1 – undergrounding 50 miles of civic areas and streets with a high concentration of power lines – will take up to another 100 years to complete, according to the city's website. Once completed, then Category II will commence, focusing on 79 miles of residential streets and alleys, which will take an estimated 400 more years to complete, the city's website reads. In total, the project is estimated to cost around $2 billion, with the bill being financed through a current tax on electric bills, ranging from 1.21% to 4.34% based on a property's usage. For a typical residential customer using 500 kWh per month, this equates to about $44 annually, according to the city. The $2 billion cost is much lower than some of California's other mass public infrastructure projects, which have also faced significant cost overruns and delays. Most notably is the California High Speed Rail, dubbed by critics as the "train to nowhere," which aims to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours. It was initially supposed to cost $33 billion in 2008, but that price tag has ballooned to as high as $128 billion with only a 22-mile segment of the 119-mile Central Valley stretch ready for track-laying. Completion may still be two decades away. President Donald Trump has labeled it as "the worst cost overrun I've ever seen" and said his administration would not provide federal funding for the project. Pasadena, a Democrat stronghold in Los Angeles County, voted decisively for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, giving her 64% of the vote while Trump notching just 34%. The city is not currently represented by any Republicans at the federal or state level, and while city council members are officially nonpartisan, most are aligned with Democrat or progressive platforms. So why the centuries-long timeline? The city says the Pasadena underground program poses a number of challenges, most notably cost, scheduling, working with utility providers and the type of terrain being worked on. Underground circuits are expensive and time-consuming to build and maintain, the city said. Additionally, installation is extremely disruptive to communities and requires complex coordination with telecom companies who have placed their own components on the power lines. Their equipment is often large and difficult to move underground, according to the city. Other challenges include topography, since Pasadena contains both flats and hillsides which can make projects more complex, PWP told Fox News Digital. "This can mean a different timeline than for-profit, investor-owned utilities," PWP said in a statement. "PWP is a not-for-profit municipally-owned utility, and our work is closely tied to long-term planning to ensure reliability and safety." PWP said its plan involves two undergrounding efforts, one focused on beautification and the other aimed at wildfire risk reduction, with both operating on different timelines. When asked for specific timelines, PWP said that program schedules for completion are not exact and are based on estimates. "Engineering studies need to be done to determine the duration and cost of any project, and no such studies have been done citywide to determine a complete undergrounding schedule," PWP said. However, there are similar projects underway that are moving at a much faster clip than the Pasadena project. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric (PGE) – an investor-owned utility with publicly traded stock and one of the nation's largest utilities – is in the process of burying 10,000 miles of power lines over the next decade, primarily in high-fire-risk areas. As of February, the company had buried more than 850 miles of undergrounding since 2021, and it estimates to complete 1,600 miles of undergrounding by 2026. The project is expected to cost between $15 billion and $20 billion, and customers will bear most of the cost. The PGE project does not cover Pasadena since Pasadena is not part of PG&E's service area, which primarily serves Northern and Central California. Meanwhile, in Houston, CenterPoint Energy, a public utility holding company based in Texas, buried its 400th mile of power lines last month, having begun in September as part of its $5.75 billion undergrounding plan to mitigate the effects of hurricanes and reduce outages. The Pasadena Underground Program is not without controversy. Several people, including Danny Wooten, the former management analyst for Pasadena's Public Works Department, were found guilty of embezzling more than $6 million from city coffers and funneling some of the money through two local churches. The scheme, which took place over a decade ago, involved Wooten generating about 300 false invoices for the Underground Program that he managed. With the current projected timeline, Pasadena residents can expect their underground project to be completed by 2525. That's nearly 450 years longer than New York City's Second Avenue Subway, which is still being built having started in 1972, and the Interstate Highway System, which was built over a period of 35 years. Local lawmakers did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment at the time of publishing.
