The State of California announced this Thursday that it will file a lawsuit against the Donald Trump Administration after the withdrawal of $4 billion in federal funds intended for the high-speed train project between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
PUBLICIDAD
The public company responsible for the development of the train will formalize the legal action. According to the state government, the budget cut is due to a “petty policy” and “Trump’s personal animosity towards California,” rather than technical or operational reasons.
PUBLICIDAD
“This is nothing more than a ruthless attack against the Central Valley, putting thousands of jobs at risk. We will sue to prevent Trump from derailing the only high-speed train currently under construction in the United States,” stated Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Trump Administration justifies the decision by claiming that the project has already received about $6.9 billion in the last fifteen years, but has not laid “a single track” or met the deadlines to hire the trains.
In response, California authorities stated that the project has already entered the track laying phase, after completing work on a 275-kilometer stretch and building 50 railway structures, including bridges and viaducts. So far, 50% of the 192 kilometers that make up the first phase has been completed, and another 30% is currently under construction. The project has created around 15,000 jobs.
Spanish companies involved
Several Spanish companies, such as Ferrovial, ACS, and Typsa, are participating in the Californian project. The three companies have extensive experience in high-speed railway infrastructure, especially in Europe.
The Californian case contrasts with the high-speed train project in Texas, which has also been halted by the Trump Administration despite the state being governed by its own party, the Republicans. In Texas, the train is being built under a private initiative, although with federal financial support. In this case, Renfe is involved.
Contrast with the Spanish model
The difficulties the United States faces in advancing its first high-speed rail line contrast with the Spanish model, built over more than three decades with the support of the two main political parties. Spain has over 4,000 kilometers of high-speed rail network, the second most extensive in the world, only behind China.
In addition, the construction cost in Spain has turned out to be up to nine times lower than in other countries such as the United Kingdom, whose network barely reaches 134 kilometers.