California High-Speed Rail Authority Seeks $396M Federal Grant After Losing $4B in Trump Administration Pullback

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is requesting $395.8 million in federal funds to extend high-speed rail from Madera to Merced, following the Trump administration’s withdrawal of $4 billion from the project.

The requested federal grant would cover 80% of a $494.8 million project. California would contribute the remaining $99 million from its Cap-and-Invest program, formerly known as Cap-and-Trade.

The funding would pay for final design and utility relocation work, preparing the corridor for future high-speed rail construction. The extension would connect to the 119-mile Central Valley segment already under construction and eventually become part of the planned San Francisco-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail line.

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According to the Rail Authority, environmental approvals under CEQA and NEPA are complete, and the project is ready to move into final design. Work could begin as early as 2027 and wrap up around 2030.

The Breakdown

• The Trump administration pulled $4 billion in federal funding from California’s high-speed rail project
• The Rail Authority is now requesting $395.8 million for a Madera-to-Merced extension
• The total project cost is $494.8 million, with California contributing $99 million from Cap-and-Invest funds
• Money would go toward final design and utility relocation, not construction
• Environmental approvals are complete; work could start in 2027 and finish around 2030

What This Means for You

If approved, this funding would move forward an extension designed to cut Merced-to-Madera travel time roughly in half and eliminate six at-grade rail crossings, improving travel times, safety, and regional connectivity in the Central Valley. However, the Rail Authority acknowledges the Trump administration could still pull additional federal money from the project.