Through major federal investment, the Biden administration announced its effort to improve the nation’s passenger rails across the country. The administration will dedicate $8.2 billion in new funding from the $66 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 to deliver world-class high-speed rail and launch new passenger rail corridors.
This is the largest investment in passenger rail in 50 years since the creation of Amtrak.
“After waiting years for new federal funding, 2023 is the year in which major rail and transit projects across the country are moving forward,” the White House said. “Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic commitment to our nation’s rail network.”
Some of the projects include:
- Major upgrades to frequently-traveled rail corridors in Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia;
- Upgrades to Chicago’s Union Station, a major rail hub;
- High-speed rail between California and Nevada;
- High-speed rail throughout California’s Central Valley, ultimately linking the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“Investing in rail is a climate solution—and the Biden-Harris administration is delivering on it in a historic way with billions in funding for major high-speed rail projects across the country,” Rebekah Whilden, Deputy Director at the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All, said. ” Replacing car and plane trips with rail will help reduce traffic congestion, cut climate emissions, and create good jobs.
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