The project is in default of its federal grant terms, which consist of $4 billion in taxpayer dollars, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

State officials defended the project and said they remain committed to construction, though it’s not clear what funding would replace federal support if it’s withdrawn.

The Trump administration said it would pull roughly $4 billion in federal funding for California’s long-planned high-speed train, a project that has, over decades, become an avatar for the country’s declining ability to complete transformative new infrastructure.