House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has initiated an investigation into the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The inquiry will focus on whether the agency misrepresented ridership projections and the financial viability of its high-speed rail project to obtain federal and state funding.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Comer requested a staff-level briefing as well as documents and communications related to the California High-Speed Rail Project.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating federal funding sent to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA or Authority). As part of our investigation, we are seeking to understand whether the Authority knowingly misrepresented the ridership projections and the associated financial viability of the California High-Speed Rail Project (CHSR Project) to secure federal and state funds,” wrote Chairman Comer. “The Committee requests a staff-level briefing, documents, and communications related to CHSRA.”
Voters in California approved nearly $10 billion in bond funding in 2008 for an 800-mile high-speed rail network intended to connect Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities by 2020 at an estimated cost of $33 billion. However, no route has been completed so far, with current cost estimates rising to between $89 billion and $128 billion. The Biden Administration committed about $4 billion in federal funds to the project, including almost $90 million toward its end. In June 2025, a report from the Federal Railroad Administration cited mismanagement by CHSRA and identified wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars. Following this review, Secretary Duffy announced that approximately $4 billion in unspent federal funds for the project would be terminated.
“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. The massive cost overruns and lack of progress warrant a reassessment of whether CHSRA acted with transparency and complied with the law,” continued Chairman Comer.
James Comer represents Kentucky’s 1st district in Congress since replacing Ed Whitfield in 2016. Before serving in Congress, he was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 to 2012. Comer was born in Carthage, Tennessee in 1972 and currently lives in Tompkinsville. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993.
A copy of Comer’s letter to Secretary Duffy is available online.
