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Rail's quiet win streak

18 0
10.08.2026

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Rail's quiet win streak

Despite Trump administration efforts to cut passenger rail funding, major U.S. train and transit projects are moving forward

Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A version of this article originally appeared in Quartz’s members-only Weekend Brief newsletter. Quartz members get access to exclusive newsletters and more. Sign up here.

There is a lot of train infrastructure being built in the U.S. right now despite the Trump administration’s effort to choke off passenger rail funding. It killed $4 billion earmarked for California's high-speed line, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy calling the project a waste of taxpayer money. The president has mocked it directly, and his administration is now pushing Congress to restrict funding for transit projects more broadly.

And yet, across the country, contractors are pouring concrete and laying track on projects worth tens of billions of dollars. In many cases, the money was committed and the contracts signed before Trump took office again. That head start has given the industry momentum that is proving difficult to stop.

The train has left the station

Some train passengers are already experiencing the changes. Riders on the Northeast........

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