Feds award $2 billion to various HSR projects around country

The federal government has awarded $2 billion in high-speed rail awards providing an unprecedented investment to speed up trains in the Northeast Corridor, expand service in the Midwest and provide new, state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars as part of the Administration's plan to transform travel in America.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak submitted
nearly 100 applications, competing to be part of an historic investment
that will create tens of thousands of jobs, improve mobility and
stimulate American manufacturing.

"Earlier this year, President
Obama and I made a commitment to improve and expand America’s
transportation system, including the development of a modern, national
high-speed rail network," said Vice President Biden. "And today, we’re
announcing investments that will continue our progress toward making
this vision a reality. These projects will put thousands of Americans to
work, save hundreds of thousands of hours for American travelers every
year, and boost U.S. manufacturing by investing hundreds of millions of
dollars in next-generation, American-made locomotives and railcars."

"President
Obama and Vice President Biden’s vision for a national rail system will
help ensure America is equipped to win the future with the fastest,
safest and most efficient transportation network in the world," said
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The investments we’re making
today will help states across the country create jobs, spur economic
development and boost manufacturing in their communities."

The
Department’s Federal Railroad Administration selected 15 states and
Amtrak to receive $2.02 billion for 22 high-speed intercity passenger
rail projects as part of a nationwide network that will connect 80
percent of Americans to high-speed rail in 25 years. The dedicated rail
dollars will:

* Make an unprecedented investment in the
Northeast Corridor (NEC), with $795 million to upgrade some of the most
heavily-used sections of the corridor. The investments will increase
speeds from 135 to 160 miles per hour on critical segments, improve
on-time performance and add more seats for passengers.

*
Provide $404.1 million to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest.
Newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago
will save passengers 30 minutes in travel time and create nearly 1,000
new jobs in the construction phase. Upgrades to the Chicago to St. Louis
corridor will shave time off the trip, enhance safety and improve
ridership.

* Boost U.S. manufacturing through a $336.2 million
investment in state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California
and the Midwest. "Next Generation" rail equipment will deliver safe,
reliable and high-tech American-built vehicles for passenger travel.

* Continue laying the groundwork for the nation’s first 220-mph
high-speed rail system in California through a $300 million investment,
extending the current 110 mile segment an additional 20 miles to advance
completion of the Central Valley project, the backbone of the Los
Angeles to San Francisco corridor.

Nearly 100 percent of the $2.02
billion announced today will go directly to construction of rail
projects, bringing expanded and improved high-speed intercity passenger
rail service to cities in all parts of the country. Thirty-two states
across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the
foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster
and more energy-efficient travel options.

The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and annual appropriations have, to
date, provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing
rail access to new communities and improving the reliability, speed and
frequency of existing lines. Of that, approximately $5.8 billion dollars
has already been obligated for rail projects.

A strict "Buy
America" requirement for high-speed rail projects ensures that U.S.
manufacturers and workers will receive the maximum economic benefits
from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a
commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ
American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the
U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts.

Rail project highlights include:

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR (NEC)

Amtrak
– NEC Power, Signal, Track, Catenary Improvements – $450 million to
boost capacity, reliability, and speed in one of the most
heavily-traveled sections of the Northeast Corridor, creating a 24-mile
segment of track capable of supporting train speeds up to 160-mph.

Maryland
– NEC Bridge Replacement – $22 million for engineering and
environmental work to replace the century-old Susquehanna River Bridge,
which currently causes frequent delays for commuters due to the high
volume of critical maintenance.

New York – NEC Harold Interlocking
Amtrak Bypass Routes – $295 million to alleviate major delays for
trains coming in and out of Manhattan with new routes that allow Amtrak
trains to bypass the busiest passenger rail junction in the nation.

Rhode
Island – NEC Kingston Track, Platform Improvements – $25 million for
design and construction of an additional 1.5 miles of third track in
Kingston, RI, so high-speed trains operating at speeds up to 150-mph can
pass trains on a high-volume section of the Northeast Corridor.

Rhode
Island – NEC Providence Station Improvements – $3 million for
preliminary engineering and environmental work to renovate the
Providence Station. These upgrades will enhance the passenger
experience, keep the station in good working order and improve transit
and pedestrian connectivity.

NORTHEASTERN REGION

Connecticut
– New Haven to Springfield Track Construction – $30 million to complete
double-track segments on the corridor, bringing added intercity rail
service to a route that plays an important role in the region,
connecting communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts to the NEC, as
well as Vermont.

Massachusetts/Maine – Downeaster Track
Improvements – $20.8 million to construct a 10.4-mile section of double
track between Wilmington and Andover, MA. Track upgrades will increase
schedule performance and dependability for passengers traveling on the
Northern New England Downeaster corridor.

New York – Empire
Corridor Capacity Improvements – $58 million to construct upgrades to
tracks, stations and signals, improving rail operations along the Empire
Corridor. This includes replacement of the Schenectady Station and
construction of a fourth station track at the Albany – Rensselaer
Station, one of the corridor’s most significant bottlenecks.

New
York – Rochester Station and Track Improvements – $1.4 million for a
preliminary engineering and environmental analysis for a new Rochester
Intermodal Station on the Empire Corridor, connecting passengers with
additional transit and pedestrian options.

Pennsylvania – Keystone
Corridor Interlocking Improvements – $40 million to rebuild an
interlocking near Harrisburg on the Keystone Corridor, saving travelers
time and improving passenger train schedule reliability.

REGIONAL EQUIPMENT POOLS

Next
Generation Passenger Rail Equipment Purchase – This state-of-the-art
rail equipment will provide safe and reliable American-built vehicles
for passenger travel, while boosting the U.S. manufacturing industry.

* Midwest Corridors – $268.2 million to purchase 48 high-performance
passenger rail cars and 7 quick-acceleration locomotives for 8
corridors in the Midwestern States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
and Missouri.

* California Corridors – $68 million to acquire
15 high-performance passenger rail cars and 4 quick-acceleration
locomotives for the Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquin, and Capitol
Corridors in California.

MIDWESTERN REGION

Illinois –
Chicago – St. Louis Corridor – $186.3 million to construct upgrades on
the Chicago – St. Louis Corridor between Dwight and Joliet, IL with
trains operating at 110 mph for more than 220 miles of track. This
investment will reduce trip times, enhance safety and add more seats on
the corridor, increasing the number of people who can conveniently
travel by train.

Michigan – Kalamazoo-Dearborn Service Development
– $196.5 million to rehabilitate track and signal systems, bringing
trains up to speeds of 110 mph on a 235-mile section of the Chicago to
Detroit corridor, reducing trip times by 30 minutes.

Michigan –
Ann Arbor Station Project – $2.8 million for an engineering and
environmental analysis to construct a new high-speed rail station in Ann
Arbor, MI, that will better serve passengers and allow more than one
train to serve the station simultaneously.

Minnesota – Northern
Lights Express – $5 million to complete engineering and environmental
work for establishing the Northern Lights Express – a high-speed
intercity passenger service – connecting Minneapolis to Duluth, with
110-mph high-speed rail service.

Missouri – Merchant’s Bridge
Replacement – $13.5 million to advance the design of a new bridge over
the Mississippi River on the Chicago to St. Louis Corridor, replacing a
bridge built in the 1890s.

SOUTHERN REGION

North Carolina –
Charlotte to Richmond Service Enhancement – $4 million for environmental
analysis on the Richmond to Raleigh section of the Southeast High Speed
Rail Corridor (SEHSR). This advances the goal of extending high-speed
rail service on the NEC into the southeast, with 110-mph capable
service.

Texas – Dallas/Fort Worth to Houston Core Express Service
– $15 million for engineering and environmental work to develop a
high-speed rail corridor linking two of the largest metro areas in the
U.S., Dallas/Fort Worth to Houston.

CALIFORNIA AND NORTHWEST REGION

California
– Central Valley Construction Project Extension – $300 million for a
20-mile extension along the Central Valley Corridor. This will continue
to advance one of the highest priority projects in the nation that will
ultimately provide 220 mph high-speed rail service from Los Angeles to
San Francisco. The work funded in this round will extend the track and
civil work from Fresno to the "Wye" junction, which will provide a
connection to San Jose to the West and Merced to the North.

Oregon
– Eugene Station Stub Tracks – $1.5 million for analysis of overnight
parking tracks for passenger trains on the southern end of the Pacific
Northwest Corridor, adding new capacity for increased passenger and
freight rail service.

Washington – Port of Vancouver Grade
Separation – $15 million to eliminate a congested intersection and
bottleneck between freight and passenger tracks. By elevating one set of
tracks over the other, travel along the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor
will experience reduced delays and passenger trains will not have to
wait for crossing freight traffic.