The new US government has cancelled €56.3 million (US$63.9 million) in funding for the planned high-speed rail (HSR) line between Dallas and Houston in the US federal state of Texas. The funds were earmarked for Amtrak, the US operator of long-distance passenger rail transport, which is involved in the project. The cost of the HSR line, originally estimated at €10.6 billion, had recently risen to over €35.2 billion, which the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) considers unrealistic and risky. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2019, but the plan to connect the cities in 90 minutes with Japanese Shinkansen trains is now uncertain. The USDOT considers the financing a waste of taxpayer money and a distraction from Amtrak's core mission.
