All cases / Local / Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
$10.1 billion, double the plan: Honolulu's rail line: twice the cost, a mile shorter
Honolulu's elevated rail line was estimated at about $5 billion when construction began in 2011. Its official budget is now $10.079 billion, the line stops about a mile short of Ala Moana Center, and full service is targeted for 2031.
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
- Estimate when construction began, 2011About $5B1
- Official budget now$10.079B1
- Risk analysis, with financingUp to $10.19B1
- Length18.9 miles, elevated1
- Cut from the routeAbout 1 mile (to Ala Moana)1
- Full service target20311
- Final cost████████████████
What happened
Construction on Honolulu's rail line began in 2011 with an estimate of about $5 billion.
The official budget is now $10.079 billion, and the line was cut short: it ends in Kakaʻako instead of a mile farther at Ala Moana Center. A recent risk analysis says the total with financing could reach $10.19 billion.
Why nobody caught it
- A consultant for the Federal Transit Administration is reviewing the project's cost and schedule.
How sure are we?
Officially measured cost growth or delay beyond what was promised.
The rail authority's official budget and its own risk analysis, as reported by Civil Beat in August 2026. Overruns are not fraud.
Sources
- Cost of Honolulu rail line may be climbing againHonolulu Civil Beat · Aug 5, 2026
Spot an error? Send the source and we'll fix it.