The Obama Administration this week announced a $53 billion plan that aims to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years, as outlined in the president’s State of the Union address.
The White House said the proposal places high-speed rail on equal footing with other surface transportation programs.
The first step in the six-year includes an $8 billion investment in the president’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. The investments will focus on
developing or improving three types of interconnected corridors:
- Core Express: These corridors will form the backbone of the national
high-speed rail system, with electrified trains traveling on dedicated
tracks at speeds of 125-250 mph or higher. - Regional: Crucial regional corridors with train speeds of 90-125 mph
will see increases in trips and reductions in travel times, laying the
foundation for future high-speed service. - Emerging: Trains traveling at up to 90 mph will provide travelers in
emerging rail corridors with access to the larger national high-speed
and intercity passenger rail network.
The White House said the funding will allow the Department of Transportation–in partnership with states,
freight rail, and private companies–to identify corridors for the
construction of world-class high-speed rail, while raising speeds on
existing rail lines and providing crucial planning and resources to
communities who want to join the national high-speed rail network.
Vice President Joe Biden made the announcement with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a visit to Philadelphia’s historic 30th Street Station, where passengers traveling from Pittsburgh and Harrisburg on Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor connect to high-speed Acela service to Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
Since track improvements raised speeds between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to 110 mph in 2006, the Keystone Corridor has seen rail ridership rise by 57%. In fact, more passengers now travel from Harrisburg to Philadelphia–and from Philadelphia to New York City and Washington D.C.–by rail than by plane.
"In America, we pride ourselves on dreaming big and building big," said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "This historic investment in America’s high-speed rail network keeps us on track toward economic opportunity and competitiveness in the 21st century. It’s an investment in tomorrow that will create manufacturing, construction, and operations jobs today.”
This long term commitment builds on the $10.5 billion down payment the Obama Administration already devoted to a national high-speed rail system–including $8 billion of Recovery Act funds and $2.5 billion from the 2010 budget.
The proposal announced today by the Vice President also streamlines the Department of Transportation’s rail programs, making it simpler for states, cities, and private companies to apply for grants and loans. For the first time, all high speed and intercity passenger rail programs will be consolidated into two new accounts: a $4 billion account for network development, focused on building new infrastructure, stations, and equipment; and a $4 billion account for system preservation and renewal, which will maintain state of good repair on Amtrak and other publicly-owned assets, bring stations into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and provide temporary operating support to crucial state corridors while the full system is being built and developed.
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