Washington, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, chaired by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), will conduct a congressional field hearing in San Francisco on Monday, August 29th on the status of the California high-speed rail project.  This multi-billion dollar project is the largest in the administration’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program funded, in large part, by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  California voters first approved a bond measure in 2008 to help finance what was then estimated to be a $33 billion project connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles with high-speed rail service; however, since then the project’s business plan and cost estimates have undergone dramatic changes.  Projected cost estimates have risen to as high as $118 billion, and now the business plan no longer calls for full high-speed service all the way into San Francisco or Los Angeles.  Furthermore, expected revenue from the state’s cap and trade program, needed to help fund the project, is not meeting expectations.  To date, the project has received nearly $4 billion in federal funding. Monday’s oversight hearing will examine the status and evolving scope of the project, and what levels of federal and state support could be necessary in order to see the project to completion. The hearing, entitled “Continued Oversight of the California High-Speed Rail Project,” is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 29, 2016, in Room B040 of the San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.  This hearing is open to the public.  Members of the media, please RSVP to [email protected] or [email protected] or call 202-225-9446. Witnesses:
  • The Honorable Sarah Feinberg, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration
  • Mr. Dan Richard, Chairman of the Board, California High-Speed Rail Authority
  • Mr. Jim Hartnett, CEO, Caltrain
  • Mr. Stuart Flashman, Attorney, Law Offices of Stuart Flashman
  • Mr. Robbie Hunter, President, State Building & Construction Trades Council of California