Gavin Newsom’s high-speed rail photos reveal the reality of the $15 billion project

Gavin Newsom says he is a man of great values. But the billions he poured into California’s High-Speed ​​Rail boondoggle don’t add up.

The Post obtained records and photos from the High-Speed ​​Rail Authority that show where the $15 billion spent over the past decade has gone to five Central Valley counties.

Photos of finished segments paint a bleak picture – unless your kink is tight and rutted.

The 58 structures Newsom has been touting include 33 grade crossings, 13 viaducts, five underpasses, three overpasses, two bridges, two underpasses and one freeway realignment, according to state records.

Some ribbon cuttings go back nearly a decade. One project — the Tuolumne Street Bridge — was launched eight and a half years ago.

And yet, no one is close to riding the bullet train in California.

Service on the limited stretch between Merced and Bakersfield won’t begin until 2032 or 2033, according to the High-Speed ​​Rail Authority, at an estimated total cost of $36.75 billion.

In his last State of the State address in March, Newsom pointed to the completed buildings and nearly 2,300 land acquisition parcels as good economic investments.

But even lawmakers in the Central Valley say they struggle to explain how much money has generated more than concrete and farmland on empty farms.

Road repairs and a gauntlet of underpasses, overpasses and crossings took up the bulk of the work, while the Wasco Viaduct emerged as one of the crown jewels of Newsom’s ambitions.

State Sen. Tony Strickland, a Huntington Beach Republican and vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, called the project a three-card Monte when it was announced.

“And I ended up being right,” he said.

After releasing plans to connect major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, Newsom argued that critics are talking down Central Valley communities.

“Newsom knows this project will not be built as it was sold to the people of California,” Strickland said. “And frankly, I believe that whoever is the next governor will repeal it, because this thing is based on life.”

Officials at the president’s office declined to comment. High-Speed ​​Rail Authority officials have defended the project’s progress.

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“Since its inception, the program has faced unprecedented challenges, including inconsistent political support, repetitive regulations and unsustainable funding,” officials said. “Despite these setbacks, the Authority continues to move the project forward. There is no other real high-speed rail project in North America under construction.”

Assemblyman David Tangipa, a Republican from Fresno, said the project doesn’t make sense in the district.

“What should people do if they take the high-speed rail to Wasco – call an Uber?” he said. “There is no public transportation.”

“This includes rural and rural areas,” added Tangipa. “That’s why we believe that this plan will work.”

Despite losing $4 billion in disputed federal funds, state officials insist the project has enough money to continue. Newsom’s latest budget proposed extending the cap-and-investment until 2045 to ensure at least $1 billion a year.

“Let’s not allow Gaslight Gavin to manipulate reality by rebranding this nightmare as cap-and-invest,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican, told The Post. “Let’s call it what it is — cap-and-spend.”

Few declared gubernatorial candidates have shown interest in putting a tourniquet on spending. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton was the only one who entered Tuesday night’s debate to say he would quit his job.

Strickland said federal support would never happen — except under one condition.

“Unless Gov. Newsom becomes president, this will not be built.”