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High-speed rail in California still on track
California’s bold plan to build the nation’s first truly high-speed rail line will receive almost $1 billion in additional funds from Washington, reports Michael Cabanatuan of the San Francisco Chronicle. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the news to Congress Monday, ahead of an official announcement planned for Thursday. Of the $902 million dollar total, $716 million will go towards work in California’s Central Valley. Another $100 million would be used to buy new locomotives and passenger cars.
State voters several years ago approved the sale of nearly $10 billion in bonds for the proposed $40 billion system.
The new federal funds are on top of $2.25 billion that Washington has already committed to the project, which would link San Francisco and Los Angeles with trains reaching 220 miles per hour in 2020. Extensions to the state capital of Sacramento and San Diego would be added later.
Aside from California, Monday’s announcement also included another $1.348 billion for upgrades for existing rail services and high speed rail links to Nevada and Arizona.
