Biden announces $3B to "fast-track" nation's first high-speed rail line

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Friday announced $8.2 billion in federal funds for new rail projects, including $3 billion for nation's first high-speed system between Nevada and California.

The high-speed line is projected to serve more than 11 million passengers each year, leading to fewer cars on the road and reduced emissions in the region, Biden said.

"At long last, we're building the first high-speed rail project in our nation's history, and it's starting here," he said to cheers during an event at the Carpenter International Training Center in Las Vegas. "We're putting high-speed rail on a fast-track."

The funding is part of $66 billion in federal money set aside for the nation's passenger rail lines, such as Amtrak, with dollars coming from Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Federal Railroad Administration's Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail program.

Biden thanked the members of Nevada's congressional delegation for their work on the $3 billion Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System project, which he noted has been ongoing for "decades."

"Some of you know what's like to sit in traffic on interstates, and guess what? Trying to make that drive from Las Vegas to L.A. or L.A. to Las Vegas, or anywhere in between, is a pain in the neck," he said. "It can take up to seven hours. But soon it's not going to be anymore."

With a high-speed rail link connecting the cities and trains traveling at 186 mph, the trip will take only 2 hours in the future, the president predicted. "Think what that will mean for environment. Think what it will mean for the economy."

The Brightline project will receive $3 billion to construct a 218-mile intercity passenger rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

As part of the latest package, the government will also finance 10 other passenger rail projects across the country, including the California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project, which will receive up to $3.07 billion. That line through California's Central Valley is planned to ultimately link Los Angeles and San Francisco, reducing congestion in the region.

Elsewhere, the Raleigh to Richmond Innovating Rail project in North Carolina will get $1.1 billion to build parts of the Southeast Corridor from Raleigh to Wake Forest.

The Long Bridge project will receive $729 million to construct a new two-track rail bridge over the Potomac River to expand passenger rail capacity between Washington and Richmond, Va.

Other notable projects in Biden's announcement include improvements to Chicago Union Station, Pennsylvania's Keystone Corridor and the Downeaster corridor linking Boston to Brunswick, Maine.

A portion of the new funding will also be used to repair aging rail infrastructure across the country to increase train speeds and reduce delays in the freight supply chain, the White House said.

Upgrades include infrastructure enhancements in Montana along the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder service from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest; and replacement of a vital rail bridge in Alaska serving freight and intercity passenger trains.

Since 2021, Biden has announced $30 billion in payouts from the passenger rail fund, including $16.4 billion on the Northeast Corridor, $1.4 billion for passenger rail and freight rail safety projects and another $570 million to upgrade railroad crossings, the White House said.

In the latest effort, the Corridor Identification and Development program will allocate another $34.5 million to steer passenger rail development on 69 rail corridors across 44 states, ensuring preparedness for the imminent rail projects that will connect different cities and regions.

The current expansion seeks to add new passenger rail service in cities that have historically lacked access to America's rail network, connecting residents to jobs, healthcare and educational opportunities.

High-speed rail, which can reach speeds up to 220 mph, is also expected to deliver substantial improvements for commuters in well-traveled corridors in Chicago, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington, where the newest upgrades and expansion projects are planned.

The initiative will create thousands of new union jobs in the each of the bustling rail hubs, the White House said.

Previously, Biden set a goal to launch these rail projects in every region of the country to help ease the gridlock of domestic travel.