News Release
Nationally, today’s announcement includes 10 projects in 9 states ready for construction and 69 corridors across 44 states identified for future development through two grant programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced that it has awarded more than $3 billion in the State of California for major improvements to the passenger rail network. Local investments are part of an $8.2 billion investment in 10 passenger rail projects nationwide, including the first high-speed rail projects in our country’s history, through the Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (Fed-State National) Program.
“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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “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.”
In California, selected projects include:
California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project (Up to $3,073,600,000)
California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)
The proposed project involves the following activities, which are part of a larger, multi-phased effort: final design and right-of-way acquisition for the Merced extension (Madera to Merced, CA) and Bakersfield extension (from Poplar Avenue in Shafter to Bakersfield, CA); civil, track, and systems construction for the 13-mile Bakersfield Interim extension; design and construction of the Fresno Station; design and procurement of trainsets; and design and construction of trainset facilities. The project will provide a competitive transportation mode with estimated speeds of 186 (or greater) miles per hour, resulting in a proposed trip time from Merced to Bakersfield in under 60 minutes. The project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide a safe travel environment for passengers and the affected communities, and improve safety with the separation of passenger rail from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway’s and Union Pacific Railroad’s mainlines. CHSRA will provide a 20 percent non-Federal match on the selected activities.
Across the country, investments will also:
- Help deliver high-speed rail service in California’s Central Valley
- Create a brand-new high-speed rail corridor between Las Vegas and southern California, serving an estimated 11 million passengers annually
- Make major upgrades to existing conventional rail corridors to better connect Northern Virginia and the Southeast with the Northeast Corridor
- Expand and add frequencies to the Pennsylvania Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
- Extend the Piedmont Corridor in North Carolina north, as part of a higher-speed connection between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia
- Invest in Chicago Union Station, as an initial step toward future improvements to the critical Midwest corridors hub
- Improve service in Maine, Montana, and Alaska
As part of President Biden’s vision for world-class passenger rail, the Biden-Harris Administration is also planning for future rail growth in new and unprecedented ways through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-created Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program. FRA announced 69 corridor selections across 44 states through this program today as well, with selections driving future passenger rail expansion in every region of the country.
“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,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “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. We’re thinking about the future too with comprehensive and systematic planning efforts to transform the U.S. intercity passenger rail network now and in the years to come.”
Two years after signing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden has already announced the most significant investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, including today’s $8.2 billion investment in rail nationwide and a $16.4 billion investment announced earlier this month for 25 projects of national significance along America’s busiest rail corridor. Coupled with rail investments announced earlier this year, including the new Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) program grants and Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants, President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda has invested nearly $30 billion in rail projects nationwide, laying the foundation for the safe and modern rail network Americans need and deserve.
To view the full list of Fed-State National project selections, please click here. Additional information about the Federal-State Partnership Program can also be found here.
