California's High-Speed Rail to Nowhere

TL;DR;

California's high-speed rail project, approved in 2008 with a $9.95 billion bond, promised 220 mph trains from LA to SF at a $40-50B cost. Today, there are no trains, no ticket sales, and no finished route. A $1.2 billion train station in Fresno exists without tracks or trains. The original plan aimed for completion by 2020 (Phase 1) and 2025 (Phase 2) at $45B, but current estimates are $128 billion with an unknown completion date. $11.2 billion has been spent, with only 119 miles partially graded. The focus is now on finishing a 119-mile starter line from Merced to Bakersfield at $35 billion, saving 1 hour of travel time at $292 million per minute saved. The project has outlived multiple governors, CEOs, presidents, and contractors, with completion projected into the 2040s, if ever.