California sues Trump administration over withholding high-speed rail funds

California and its high-speed rail authority filed suit on Tuesday to prevent the Trump administration from cancelling a nearly $1 billion federal grant awarded in 2010 for a "bullet" train project hobbled by extensive delays and rising costs.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, claims the U.S. Transportation Department lacks authority to withhold the $929 million in question, which the Obama administration allocated nearly a decade ago but has remained untapped.

The court challenge seeks an injunction to keep the grant intact. The state also plans to petition for an immediate temporary restraining order to prevent the department's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) from redirecting the money to other projects.