City has much to lose if rail is halted

Stopping the project now would wipe out jobs, incur huge costs and invite cynicism, transit officials say

By Kevin Dayton / kdayton@staradvertiser.com

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 27, 2012

~~<p>Honolulu will find itself in uncharted territory if former Gov. Ben Cayetano is elected mayor and actually cancels the city's $5.27 billion rail project.</p>
<p>There are few, if any, examples of rail projects in the United States that were shut down this late in the development and funding process, and many observers predict a messy, expensive and drawn-out closure process if Honolulu scraps the planned 20-mile train system.</p>
~~

Honolulu will find itself in uncharted territory if former Gov. Ben Cayetano is elected mayor and actually cancels the city's $5.27 billion rail project.

There are few, if any, examples of rail projects in the United States that were shut down this late in the development and funding process, and many observers predict a messy, expensive and drawn-out closure process if Honolulu scraps the planned 20-mile train system. Login for more...