Why It Matters
The Honolulu rail project, one of the nation’s most expensive transit systems, is slipping further behind schedule. Federal advisors now project the final segment will not open until spring 2032—a year later than the city’s stated goal—raising fresh questions about a system that has already doubled in cost and missed its original 2020 completion date by more than a decade.
What Happened
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) board approved a $53 million change order with Hitachi Rail Honolulu to extend construction work through 2029, effectively pushing back the system’s opening timeline. A consultant for the Federal Transit Administration assessed that design and construction setbacks make a one-year delay probable for the 18.9-mile Skyline line’s final segment, which will run from Middle Street to Kakaʻako with three miles of elevated track and six stations.
HART Executive Director Lori Kahikina acknowledged the tight margins at a Friday meeting, noting that the agency has only 100 days of schedule flexibility remaining to meet its target opening date of March 31, 2031. “With no float, that means everything has to be perfect – no glitches – to reach our revenue service date of 2031,” Kahikina said.
The delays stem from multiple sources. The contractor hired to build the city center segment, Tutor Perini, encountered drilling problems along Dillingham Boulevard and Nimitz Highway. Utility relocation work in the downtown area has also fallen behind. The FTA consultant Hill International Inc. estimates a 65 percent probability that the city center segment will not open before spring 2032.
The Hitachi contract expansion reflects the broader scope of problems. The original $1.726 billion agreement with the Japanese rail manufacturer was supposed to conclude in 2024; the change order raises that to $1.779 billion and extends the completion date to 2029.
By the Numbers
18.9 miles — length of the Skyline system
$10 billion — current estimated total project cost
$5 billion — original project budget approved in 2011
March 31, 2031 — HART’s target opening date for the entire system
April 2032 — FTA consultant’s projected opening date for the final segment
100 days — remaining schedule buffer before deadline becomes infeasible
65% — FTA consultant’s probability assessment that city center segment will not open until spring 2032
$53 million — amount of change order approved for Hitachi Rail Honolulu
3 miles — length of elevated rail in city center segment
6 — number of stations in city center segment
Zoom Out
The Honolulu rail system exemplifies the cost overruns and schedule slippage that plague large urban transit projects nationwide. The system was originally supposed to open by 2020 and connect East Kapolei to the Ala Moana Center. The city subsequently shortened the route to end in Kakaʻako to reduce costs, yet expenses have doubled from roughly $5 billion to $10 billion over the past 15 years. Similar megaprojects in other cities—including California’s high-speed rail and New York’s Second Avenue Subway extension—have experienced comparable delays and budget escalations.
What’s Next
HART must navigate the final segment’s construction without further delays to have any realistic chance of meeting the 2031 target. The board’s approval of the Hitachi contract extension through 2029 suggests the agency is preparing for a longer timeline, even as Kahikina publicly maintains the 2031 goal. The FTA’s consultant assessment will likely inform federal oversight of the remaining work and any future funding decisions.