The California Bullet Train Is a Good Lesson in Political Deception

This week, the author and his wife traveled on Amtrak through California’s Central Valley, noticing the construction of the California Bullet Train. This project, designed to link San Francisco and Los Angeles, began after California voters approved a bond of $9. 9 billion in 2008 to assess its feasibility, with initial costs expected to be around $33 billion. However, the cost has ballooned to an estimated $135 billion as the project faces ongoing financial struggles. The author points out that the logic behind the project differs from conventional financial reasoning, as it seems to be driven by political ideology rather than sensible economic planning.

The author questions the relevance of Central Valley construction to the project since it does not connect the two major cities directly. Although there is a rail link via Amtrak, the current service is slow, and the Bullet Train faces geographical challenges. Only construction between Bakersfield and Merced is visible, and even that will take years to finish, with completion not expected until 2033. The author notes that building in the flat Central Valley, which is the easiest terrain, is already costly, and future construction through mountainous areas will likely be even more expensive and complex.

Despite recognizing the difficulties ahead, local politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom, promote the project as transformative for the local economy, suggesting it provides vital access to education and jobs. However, the author doubts that the Bullet Train will be a significant improvement over current services, and local residents might not benefit from it as much as expected. He emphasizes that while the project presents itself as groundbreaking, without adequate ridership, it may simply serve as a curiosity more than a solution.

Ultimately, the author views the California Bullet Train as a failure of government planning and a burden on taxpayers who will have to bear the financial weight of the project. He asserts that the politicians and contractors involved will benefit from the initiative while the general public remains at a loss. The author believes this massive misallocation of resources highlights the problems associated with large-scale governmental infrastructure projects and their often-optimistic rhetoric that does not match reality. In conclusion, the California bullet train serves as a cautionary example of the costs and challenges of political decision-making in infrastructure projects. 

https://mises.org/mises-wire/california-bullet-train-good-lesson-political-deception