Lawmakers Back Audit Of California Bullet Train

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's high-speed rail project will face fresh scrutiny from the state auditor.

A legislative panel approved an audit of the bullet train project Tuesday with bipartisan support. State auditor Elaine Howle says it will take her team six to nine months to complete the audit.

Howle has been tasked with examining the California High-Speed Rail Authority's process for containing costs and staying on its timeline, as well as the project's environmental and economic impacts.

The audit request comes after a $3 billion jump in costs for a Central Valley segment that's partly under construction. Lawmaker say they hope to cut through the political noise surrounding the project and get a better grip on the facts.

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