The chief executive of the state’s high-speed rail authority abruptly resigned late Wednesday ahead of a critical board vote over a key portion of the route.
Ian Choudri took over in 2024 as scrutiny over the project intensified. Under Choudri, the project lost billions of dollars in federal funding. And recently, the authority’s inspector general reported that the authority wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasteful travel expenses for four consulting firms. Expenses included trips to an escape room and a cigar lounge.
Ahead of Choudri’s resignation, California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra told Sacramento-area TV station KCRA-3 that if elected, he would remove Choudri from his position. It wasn’t immediately clear if that prompted the resignation.
Earlier this year, Choudri was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. He took a voluntary leave while the authority assessed the situation and later returned to his post.
Choudri arrived at the high-speed rail project from infrastructure design firm HNTB Corp. He has over 30 years of experience in the transportation field.
His resignation was announced hours before the rail authority was scheduled to meet to consider approving the environment clearance for the last 33-mile leg of the route from Anaheim to Los Angeles.
If the board approves, the entire route from Anaheim to San Francisco will be environmentally cleared for construction, though most of the nearly 500-mile route remains unfunded.
The $8.8 billion leg from L.A. to Anaheim is the final section that needs environmental clearance in the project’s first phase.
But work is still isolated to a 119-mile portion of the Central Valley and there is no construction date set to start elsewhere on the line. The train is more than 30 years behind schedule and over $100 billion beyond its original budget.
This latest portion would connect from Anaheim to Los Angeles Union Station, traveling along Highway 101 through Fullerton, Buena Park, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Vernon, Commerce, Bell, Montebello and unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County.
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