The response to President Obama’s offer of funding for high-speed rail has been overwhelming. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included an $8 billion competitive grant program as a down payment to develop high-speed and intercity passenger rail networks. The President has proposed a continuing $1 billion annual investment to further this effort.
In response, rail agencies have submitted 278 pre-applications for grant funding totaling $102 billion to the Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. DOT announced yesterday.