California High-Speed Rail Project Dubbed ‘Stonehenge’ as Costs Mount, Feasibility Questioned

California Post opinion editor Joel Pollak has sharply criticized the state’s embattled high-speed rail project, describing its current state as a rural “Stonehenge” and questioning whether it will ever be completed.

The remarks come amid growing skepticism over Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the initiative, which was originally intended to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. Pollak noted that Newsom, who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, is in a politically difficult position. “He can’t afford to own up to failure,” Pollak said.

According to Pollak, Newsom initially recognized the project’s flaws in his maiden speech to the state legislature in 2019, when he canceled it, stating it would “cost too much and take too long.” However, Pollak pointed out that the governor later kept a rural portion of the project alive—what locals now call “Stonehenge.”

“Instead of building a high-speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco, he’s basically built Stonehenge in the California rural valley,” Pollak said.

The project’s viability was further questioned when asked if it would ever be finished. Pollak referenced comments from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who recently said he does not believe the rail line will be completed. “He just can’t see them finishing it,” Pollak added.

Pollak highlighted the absurdity of the cost-saving plans, which include reducing twin tracks—one in each direction—to single tracks in portions of the route. “Some of these changes make it basically unusable,” he said.

He further argued there is no real need for the train, noting that travelers can book a commercial flight from L.A. to San Francisco for less than $100 and reach their destination in under an hour. He also pointed out that residents of the Central Valley already have access to a popular Amtrak service and Interstate 5.

“Too many lack a means to get from point A to point B? No,” Pollak said. He traced the project’s origins back to 2008, when it was championed by then-Governor Jerry Brown. Newsom, Pollak explained, was initially opposed, then canceled it, and later restored it—due to pressure from special interests.

The project’s estimated cost has ballooned, with plans to save $100billionoffatotalof$231 billion now under scrutiny. As it stands, critics say the so-called high-speed rail is more monument than transit solution.