Transportation
California High-Speed Rail CEO Resigns Amid Travel Expense Scandal
Ian Choudri resigned as CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority late Wednesday after a two-year tenure marked by budget shortfalls, project delays, and an inspector general probe into nearly $600,000 in questionable consultant travel expenses. The board announced Thursday that Joe Stephenshaw, who has led the state Department of Finance since July 2022, will replace him. Under Choudri, the agency lost $4 billion in federal funding after missing train-purchase deadlines and saw projected costs balloon from $45 billion to between $126 billion and $231 billion for the full San Francisco-to-Los Angeles buildout expected by 2040. The board also approved a $772.1 million contract with Siemens Mobility to design and build three high-speed trains in Germany by 2030, while a lawsuit challenges the proposed relocation of the downtown Merced station.