DOT saves taxpayers over $60M by terminating Texas high-speed rail contract
Transportation Secretary Duffy: '... underwriting this project is a waste of taxpayer funds'
By Greg Wehner Fox News
Published April 14, 2025 8:52pm EDT
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that it will save American taxpayers over $60 million by ending a grant to help fund a high-speed rail project in Texas.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the announcement, saying an agreement between the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Amtrak to terminate the $63.9 million grant had been reached.
The grant was awarded to Amtrak under the Corridor Identification and Development Program for the Amtrak Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor, previously known as the Texas Central Railway project.
"I am pleased to announce that FRA and Amtrak are in agreement that underwriting this project is a waste of taxpayer funds and a distraction from Amtrak’s core mission of improving its existing subpar services," Duffy said. "If the private sector believes this project is feasible, they should carry the pre-construction work forward, rather than relying on Amtrak and the American taxpayer to bail them out. My department will continue to look for every opportunity to save federal dollars and prioritize efficiencies."
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