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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday hailed the President Donald Trump administration’s investment in developing the U.S. rail system, criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) high-speed rail system.<\/p>\n
$5 Billion Investment in the U.S. Rail System<\/p>\n
In a post on X, Duffy shared a video, touting a $5 billion investment in the U.S. rail network. “We are putting money where it matters, and delivering results for the American people,” he said. The video showed Duffy at the Cincinnati Union Terminal, saying that the railway station’s peak saw 17,000 passengers transit daily.<\/p>\n
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Out of the $5 billion, about $2.4 billion of the funding was redirected from federal grants previously committed to California’s high-speed rail project. Earlier, Xavier Becerra, who won the Democratic Primaries to replace term-limited Newsom in November’s California gubernatorial election, had vowed to scrap the project in its current iteration.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcb5 $5 BILLION INVESTMENT IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF RAIL<\/p>\n
Under @POTUS<\/a>‘ leadership, we are putting money where it matters, and delivering results for the American people.<\/p>\n Bye, bye boondoggle projects! Hello, big, beautiful infrastructure \ud83d\udc4b pic.twitter.com\/pOuVdPapMs<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) August 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n See Also: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your ‘Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time<\/a><\/p>\n DOT Touts New Trainsets<\/p>\n According to an official statement released by the Department of Transportation on Friday, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) would be investing $5.3 billion in upgrading the system, including a $2.05 billion investment to purchase 43 new trainsets for Amtrak.<\/p>\n “Instead of wasting billions of dollars on a train to nowhere, we are fixing thousands of grade crossings \u2013 saving lives and improving communities across America,” Duffy said in the statement. The investment also includes closing over 30 grade crossings and upgrading roughly 1,000 crossings with new infrastructure.<\/p>\n The California High-Speed Rail Authority says 463 miles of the planned 494-mile San Francisco-to-Anaheim Phase 1 system have been environmentally cleared and are construction-ready. Construction is currently active on 119 miles in the Central Valley, with more than 80 miles of guideway completed. However, the project still faces a substantial funding gap. California officials have acknowledged that additional funding will be needed to complete the broader system.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy: Shutterstock<\/p>\n Read Next:\u00a0<\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market<\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.<\/p>\n Arrived<\/p>\n Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100<\/a>. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.<\/p>\n Realberry<\/p>\n Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities <\/a>backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.<\/p>\n FarmTogether<\/p>\n Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000<\/a> \u2014 fully managed, with no landlord headaches.<\/p>\n Fundrise<\/p>\n Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate<\/a> and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.<\/p>\n Mode Mobile<\/p>\n Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day.<\/a> Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.\u00a0<\/p>\n EquityMultiple\u00a0<\/p>\n For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000<\/a>,<\/a> with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n