The boring company of Elon Musk is in conversation with the government via Amtrak Project

The Federal Railroad Administration, the Nation railway office, has brought in The boring company, the tunnel company founded by Elon MuskTo help with an Amtrak project of millions of dollars, according to three people who are familiar with the discussions.

Officials of the Federal Railroad Administration have spoken with employees of the boring company about assessing the costs and progress of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, a new tunnel Along a busy Amtrak -Stretch that connects Baltimore with Washington and Virginia. Amtrak initially expected that development would cost $ 6 billion, but now estimates that it could cost no less than $ 8.5 billion.

As part of the discussions, officials from the Ministry of Transport met, which supervises the Federal Railroad Administration, last month employees of the boring company and the company were told that the company could find ways to build the tunnel cheaper and more efficiently, according to two of the people who are familiar with the discussions.

A spokesperson for the transport department, Nathaniel Sizemore, confirmed that the boring company was one of the different companies that was consulted with the aim of granting a new engineering contract. He refused to mention the other companies.

The conversations have expressed concern about the conflicts of interest of Mr. Musk while he juggles his companies, together with his role as top adviser of President Trump. Mr. Musk leads or owns at least six companies, including the Electrical Automaker Tesla and the Rocket Company SpaceX. At the same time, he supervised Department of Efficiency of the GovernmentThose jobs and resources has reduced to federal agencies that regulate its companies.

In at least a few cases, the conflicts of interest have become public. President Trump Hawked Tesla cars Of the White House Lawn in March, while federal agencies have insisted on the broader use of SpaceXs Starlink Satellite Internet Service.

Last month, in the midst of concern of investors that he neglected his work at Tesla, Mr. Musk said he would do that Return the time he has spent Cut costs in Washington.

The Ministry of Transport said in a statement that the estimated price for the tunnel increased by $ 2.5 billion and that Amtrak had not yet found any ways to lower the costs.

“The department has had conversations with many stakeholders in the infrastructure engineering room to understand opportunities to get this project back on track,” said Mr. Sizemore.

Amtrak had no immediate comments. The boring company and Mr. Musk did not respond to requests for comments.

The Frederick Douglass tunnel is set to replace the 152-year-old Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, a route of 1.4 miles along the northeastern corridor of Amtrak. It is the “single largest infrastructure effort” led by Amtrak, according to a report Last year by Amtrak’s Inspector General Office, which also expressed concern about balloon shipping costs and missed deadlines. The tunnel is expected to be completed by 2035.

Last year, Amtrak selected A joint venture between two construction companies, Kiewit and JF Shea, to build the tunnel. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Previously, Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and the current Vice President JD Vance, had that criticized The assignment of federal funds to the project for “prefer the northeastern states above the rest of the country.”

Mr. Musk was also attacked Amtrak And Other large -scale rail projects. In March he suggested that the Railroad of the federal ownership was privatized.

“If you come from another country, don’t use our National Rail,” said Mr. Musk about Amtrak during a conference in March with bankers. “It will leave you with a very bad impression of America.”

Mr. Musk and his companies have previously weighed matters at the Ministry of Transport. After a fatal collision between an army helicopter and a commercial jet in January, transport secretary Sean Duffy brought SpaceX employees of the Air Traffic Control Command Center of the Federal Aviation Administration in Virginia to make safety suggestions the following month.

Mr. Musk has also been Faa To cancel an air traffic control contract with several dollars with Verizon in favor of a Starlink system.

Over the years, Mr. Musk promoted his own transport ideas, including the electric cars from Tesla, the missiles of SpaceX and a hyperloopA vacuum tube to push people and goods at high speeds. The boring company, which has collected more than $ 900 million in risk capital financing, has completed some of its proposed American plans.

In 2017, Mr. Musk tweeted that he had received “verbal government approval” to build An underground hyperloop Connection of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, claim that it would bring New York passengers to the capital of the country in less than 30 minutes.

Two years later, the boring company submitted plans to the Ministry of Transport to build an underground loop of 35 miles for cars between Baltimore and Washington, and said it could be completed in two years. That project was removed from the website of the boring company In 2021 and now seems to be dead.

The leader of the boring company, Steve Davishas collaborated with Mr. Musk and the Trump government at the Ministry of Efficiency of the Government. One of the most trusted lieutenants of the billionaire, Mr Davis was appointed by Mr. Musk to lead the tunnel company in 2018 and became Deputten to perform Mr. Musk’s cost -saving vision for the federal government.

Mr. Musk Was frustrated Due to the lack of success of the boring company under Mr. Davis, which he criticized privately for not completing projects. In a recent interview with Fox News, Mr Davis framed his efforts with Doge as an attempt to prevent the country from going bankrupt and said that he and others were “willing to put our lives on hold” to help Mr Musk.

Mr Davis did not respond to a request for comment.

Alain Delaquérière contributed research.