California’s high-speed rail project, which aims to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles with a 494-mile route capable of speeds up to 220 mph, aims to continue construction in 2025.
Phase 1 of the project focuses on linking San Francisco in the north to Anaheim via Los Angeles in the south, with plans to extend the line north to Sacramento and south to San Diego in Phase 2.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is overseeing the project says it has already generated significant economic benefits, including creating over 14,000 construction jobs and involving 875 small businesses.
But despite its transformative goals, the project remains politically contentious, with critics questioning its costs and viability. It has been in development since voters approved funding in 2008 and has faced delays, cost increases, and shifting timelines.