California High-Speed Rail: What’s Been Spent, What’s Been Built
California’s high-speed rail program has spent billions, with civil construction underway and no passenger service yet. This brief tracks expenditures, construction progress, cost forecasts, and service dates, with major figures dated and linked to original sources.
By Dora C. Winters · Updated September 18, 2026
As of August 6, 2026, no contract to build trains had been signed.
The FRA terminated major federal grants in July 2025. The Authority voluntarily dismissed its related lawsuit on December 23, 2025.
Bottom line
Civil construction is underway in the Central Valley, but no high-speed passenger trains are carrying riders yet.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is targeting 2033 to begin passenger service between Merced and Bakersfield. Its own risk analysis puts a realistic outer date at September 2034 — a P65 date, meaning the schedule is estimated to have about a 65% chance of being met by then. That September 2034 figure is the Authority's own estimate, verified by the California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General; it is not a separate OIG forecast.
Progress on guideway and structures is counted separately from installed mainline track — none of which has been laid yet.
$15.622B
Program expenditures to date
Money spent so far — not a total project-cost estimate; through June 30, 2026
89 of 119 miles
Guideway construction complete
Guideway means earthwork and rough grading — not rails or track; June 2026 data
65 of 92
Structures construction complete
Civil structures with concrete work complete; closeout, certification and track still ahead; June 2026 data
Not yet begun
Mainline track installation
Railhead staging track is separate and is not mainline track
No service
High-speed passenger operations
No California HSR passenger trains operating
2033 target
Initial passenger service
Authority target to start Merced–Bakersfield passenger service; its P65 (65%-confidence) window extends to September 2034 (verified by OIG, July 31, 2026)
Program overview
Active civil construction is concentrated in the Central Valley initial operating segment (Merced to Bakersfield). Statewide Phase 1 additionally covers extensions to San Francisco and to Los Angeles/Anaheim.
This page reports verified figures on program expenditures, construction progress and current service dates. Every figure is labeled by geographic scope and attributed to a primary source.
Program expenditures and cost estimates
The Authority reports $15.622 billion in cumulative program spending through June 30, 2026 across all funding sources combined (August 2026 Capital Outlay Budget and Expenditures Report). This is money already spent — not an estimate of what the whole project will cost.
The other dollar figures on this page are cost estimates for different, defined scopes. They are not interchangeable and should not be added together or compared with spending-to-date without noting which scope each one covers. From the Authority's Final 2026 Business Plan: the 119-mile Central Valley civil segment is estimated at $20.115 billion; the Authority's reduced, optimized Merced-to-Bakersfield delivery scope at $35.662 billion; its optimized statewide Phase 1 at $126.076 billion; and its re-estimate of a fuller, earlier Phase 1 buildout at approximately $231.3 billion. Separately, the OIG's July 31, 2026 review of the 2026 Business Plan presents a $47.654 billion reference estimate for the full 171-mile dual-track scope defined by SB 198 — the state law that sets that reference scope. That 171-mile figure describes a legal reference scope, not 171 miles of finished or active construction.
The same OIG review warns that currently available program funding could run out as early as December 2027 without new financing, and estimates $3.6 billion to $6.6 billion in added financing costs if short-term borrowing is used to keep construction going beyond that date.
Reported spending and cost estimates by scope
| Figure | Scope | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.622B | Statewide program expenditures to date | Through June 30, 2026 | Authority August 2026 Capital Outlay Budget and Expenditures Report |
| $20.115B | 119-mile Central Valley civil segment — estimated cost | Final 2026 Business Plan | Authority Final 2026 Business Plan |
| $35.662B | Authority-optimized Merced–Bakersfield initial delivery | Final 2026 Business Plan | Authority Final 2026 Business Plan |
| $47.654B | 171-mile dual-track SB 198 reference estimate (OIG presentation) | Reported July 31, 2026 | OIG Review of the 2026 Business Plan (July 31, 2026) |
| $126.076B | Authority-optimized statewide Phase 1 | Final 2026 Business Plan | Authority Final 2026 Business Plan |
| ~$231.3B | Full prior Phase 1 buildout — Authority re-estimate | Final 2026 Business Plan | Authority Final 2026 Business Plan |
Construction progress
About 171 miles in the Central Valley are under design and construction. That is a work-in-scope figure — it counts miles where work is happening, not miles finished or open. No mainline high-speed track has been laid to date; the only rail installed so far is temporary staging track used to move construction materials, which is not mainline high-speed track.
As of June 2026, guideway construction is complete on 89 of 119 miles. Guideway completion means the earthwork and rough grading are done — it does not mean rails or mainline track have been installed, and it is not the same as track laid.
Over the same period, 65 of 92 structures — bridges, viaducts, grade separations and undercrossings — had their concrete work complete and were ready for punch-list, certification and then track installation or opening. This does not mean every structure has finished all certification and closeout work.
Construction workforce
The Authority's Jobs page records 19,175 cumulative Community Benefits Agreement construction jobs as of May 1, 2026, counted across the life of Central Valley construction contracts. The Authority counts each job separately and notes that one worker may hold more than one job, so this is a cumulative job count over several years — not the number of people on site at any one time, and not permanent manufacturing employment.
For a same-time picture, the Central Valley Status Report shows an average of 1,351 workers on site each day in June 2026. That snapshot is shown separately from the cumulative job count so the two are not confused.
Current service dates
The California High-Speed Rail Authority currently plans to begin Merced–Bakersfield passenger service in 2033 (Final 2026 Business Plan).
The Authority's own risk-based schedule puts a P65 date — the point by which it estimates a 65% chance of being met — at September 2034. The California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General verified and reported that P65 date in its July 31, 2026 review of the 2026 Business Plan.
The 2033 target and September 2034 are not two independent predictions. 2033 is the Authority's Merced–Bakersfield passenger-service target; September 2034 is the far end of the Authority's own P65 window, which the OIG verified and reported.
Trainset procurement
No contract to build trains has been signed as of the verification cutoff.
A trainset is a complete high-speed train. The Authority's August 6, 2026 Public Notice of Trainset Procurement Revisions covers 3 initial trainsets plus 19 options. Those 19 options are contingent — they are not a signed order and cannot be counted as trains on the way.
The Authority's official Trainsets and Related Services procurement page confirms that the notice of proposed award and the contract itself have yet to be decided.
Reported private-capital partnership
The reported partnership with Momentum is an evaluation and predevelopment agreement. It does not commit private money to construction and does not add to the funded program balance.
Describing the partnership as committed private construction funding would be inaccurate on the current record.
Metric detail with attribution
Program expenditures to date
$15.622 billion
Money actually spent across all funding sources statewide — cumulative spending to date, not a total project-cost estimate.
119-mile Central Valley civil segment
$20.115 billion
Estimated cost to build the 119-mile Central Valley civil segment.
Authority-optimized Merced–Bakersfield initial delivery
$35.662 billion
The Authority's estimate for its optimized, scaled-back initial Merced-to-Bakersfield delivery scope.
OIG 171-mile dual-track SB 198 reference
$47.654 billion
The Inspector General's presentation of a reference estimate for the full 171-mile dual-track scope defined by SB 198 — a legal reference scope, not 171 miles of active or finished construction.
Authority-optimized statewide Phase 1
$126.076 billion
The Authority's estimate for its optimized statewide Phase 1 scope.
Authority re-estimate — fuller prior Phase 1 buildout
Approximately $231.3 billion
The Authority's re-estimate of a fuller, earlier Phase 1 buildout scope.
Miles under design and construction
~171 miles
Central Valley miles currently under design and construction — work in progress, not miles completed or in service. No mainline high-speed track has been laid; the only rail installed so far is temporary staging track used to move construction materials.
Structures complete or substantially complete
65 of 92 structures
Bridges, viaducts, grade separations and undercrossings whose concrete work is complete and ready for punch-list, certification and then track installation or opening. It does not mean every structure has finished all certification and closeout work.
Cumulative CBA construction jobs
19,175 cumulative construction jobs (CBA-covered)
A running total of Community Benefits Agreement construction jobs across the life of Central Valley construction contracts. The Authority counts each job separately and notes one worker may hold more than one job, so this is a cumulative job count over several years — not the number of people on site at any one time, and not permanent manufacturing employment.
Average daily site workers (June 2026)
1,351 average daily site workers
The average number of workers on site each day in June 2026 — a same-time snapshot, shown separately from the cumulative job count above so the two are not confused.
Authority service-begin date
2033
California High-Speed Rail Authority's current planning target to begin Merced–Bakersfield passenger service.
Authority P65 contingency date (OIG-verified)
September 2034 (Authority P65, verified by OIG)
The Authority's own risk-based schedule puts a P65 (65%-confidence) date at September 2034; the OIG verified and reported that date in its July 31, 2026 review of the 2026 Business Plan. It is the far end of the Authority's own schedule window, not a separate OIG forecast alongside the 2033 target.
OIG funding warning
Available funding could be exhausted as soon as December 2027
A warning from the California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General in its July 31, 2026 review of the 2026 Business Plan that currently available program funding could run out as early as December 2027 without new financing. The OIG also estimates $3.6 billion to $6.6 billion in added financing costs if short-term borrowing is used to keep construction going beyond that date.
Trainset procurement
3 initial trainsets + 19 unguaranteed options
Per the Authority's August 6, 2026 Public Notice of Trainset Procurement Revisions. A trainset is a complete high-speed train. The procurement covers 3 initial trainsets plus 19 options; the options are contingent and are not a signed order. No contract to build trains has been executed as of the verification cutoff.
Oversight & Accountability
Frequently asked questions
Primary sources
- California High-Speed Rail Authority, August 2026 Capital Outlay Budget and Expenditures Report — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- California High-Speed Rail Authority, August 2026 Central Valley Status Report — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- California High-Speed Rail Authority, Final 2026 Business Plan — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General, Review of the 2026 Business Plan, July 31, 2026 — California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General
- California High-Speed Rail Authority Jobs page — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- Official High-Speed Trainsets and Related Services procurement page — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- August 6, 2026 Public Notice of Trainset Procurement Revisions — California High-Speed Rail Authority
- OIG Investigative Report concerning consultant travel expenses, September 15, 2026 — California High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General
- Authority News Release — Global Infrastructure and Investment Consortium Joins California High-Speed Rail (June 24, 2026) — California High-Speed Rail Authority