High-speed rail

The CEO of California's $126 billion high-speed rail project is on the hot seat after inspectors found $600,000 in spending on improper travel perks.

The measure would have allowed the Office of the Inspector General that oversees the high-speed rail authority to hire more highly trained workers for audits and investigations.

California’s high-speed rail authority wanted state lawmakers to cut red tape and raise more revenue to keep the train project on track. Only one of the policies it advocated became law this year.

While the state withheld $3.9 billion from schools, it spent $1.3 billion on pork projects and $600,000 on train consultants' questionable luxury travel bills, reports say.

California’s High-Speed Rail Authority paid nearly $600,000 in unallowable travel reimbursements to outside consultants while keeping a poor record to justify them, a state investigation found.

An overhaul of California's carbon auction program is forcing lawmakers to reduce spending and decide whether high-speed rail deserves $1 billion a year.

The bullet train project launched in 2008 with promises of completion by 2020. Now it's mostly concrete supports. No tracks or train.

Revenues from the state's carbon emissions auction will be used for high speed rail, wildfire suppression and legislators' discretionary spending.

In a new report for the Legislature, the California High-Speed Rail Authority's top executive seems to be betting that a blunt conversation and different funding strategy could convince lawmakers to back a new direction for the project.

The new chief executive for California's high-speed rail project has a plan to accelerate construction and attract private investment. It'll require a stronger commitment from the state Capitol.