On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it had awarded $8.2 billion for 10 passenger rail projects, and identified corridors across the country for future development.
The awarded, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will bring the total invested in America’s railroad system to nearly $30 billion, officials said. The investment includes 10 ready for construction projects in 9 states and 69 corridors across 44 states for future development.
The Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program will advance two high-speed rail corridors and fund improvements to existing rail corridors. The projects will create a new high-speed rail corridor between Las Vegas and southern California, as well as make major upgrades to existing rail corridors to connect Northern Virginia and the Southeast to the Northeast Corridor, invest in Chicago’s Union Station and improve the Midwest corridors hub, and improve service in Maine, Montana and Alaska, among other corridors.
“Today, the Biden-Harris Administration takes another historic step to deliver the passenger rail system that Americans have been calling for – with $8.2 billion for faster, more reliable, expanded train service across the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “With this funding, we’ll deliver America’s first high-speed rail on a route between Southern California and Las Vegas, complete major upgrades for riders in Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine, Montana, and Alaska, and announce a comprehensive plan that makes it easier to expand passenger rail lines in 44 states.”
The Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program will drive future passenger rail expansion, officials said. The new planning program will guide intercity passenger rail development, the FRA said. The initial round of selections will upgrade 15 rail routes, add or extend service on 47 new routes and advance 7 new high-speed rail projects, creating a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects for future investment.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gave us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to think smart and think big about the future of rail in America, and we are taking full advantage of the resources we have to advance world-class passenger rail services nationwide,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said. “Today’s announcement is another step forward as we advance transformative projects that will carry Americans for decades to come and provide them with convenient, climate-friendly alternatives to congested roads and airports.”
Those planning and development projects include new high-speed rail service in the Cascadia High-Speed Rail Corridor between Oregon, Washington and British Columbia; high-speed rail service between Dallas and Houston; and upgraded Midwest Chicago hub corridors.