The cheif executive officer of the state’s high-speed rail authority was reportedly arrested by Folsom Police earlier this month on suspicion of domestic battery, according to Folsom Police records
Ian Choudri, 57, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, was arrested in the early morning hours Feb. 4 after a ln alleged disturbance at his Folsom residence, according to the Folsom Police Department crime records. Those reports say Choudri was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery.
Additional details about the circumstances leading to or surrounding the arrest are not being released by police due to the nature of the charge, which is a misdemeanor according to arrest records. Chourdi was booked and released from the Sacramento County Main Jail later the same day.
The arrest occurred one day after Choudri appeared with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Kern County to mark the completion of the Southern Railhead facility, a milestone tied to construction progress on California’s high-speed rail system.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has not commented on the arrest and has stated it is reviewing the incident.
Choudri was appointed CEO of the authority by its board of directors in August 2024. In that role, he oversees planning, development and delivery of California’s high-speed rail program, which aims to connect major regions of the state through electrified passenger rail service.
Prior to joining the authority, Choudri worked in more than 18 countries on large-scale infrastructure and construction projects involving rail, telecommunications, highways, energy, defense, airports and seaports. His professional background includes work with major engineering firms such as Bechtel Corporation and HNTB.
In the United States, his past projects included work on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Dulles Airport Metro Line in Washington, D.C., and development efforts related to a future connection between Ontario International Airport and the planned Brightline West terminus in Rancho Cucamonga.
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