Secretary LaHood announces $727,000 
for New York high-speed rail

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said $727,000 would be coming for the State of New York to continue work on its high-speed rail program with the rehabilitation of the Buffalo-Depew railroad station. The Department of Transportation has provided New York $1.7 million of the $151 million awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for high-speed rail.

"President Obama’s bold
vision for high-speed rail is a game-changer for transportation in New York and
the United States," said Secretary LaHood.  "This undertaking is not only
creating good jobs and reinvigorating our manufacturing base, it’s also going
to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."

The money will provide
Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrades, reconstruction of the
ticket counter, installation of a passenger Information Display System, and
platform repairs. The FRA is actively working with the New York State
Department of Transportation on additional grant agreements to further develop
the Empire Corridor.

"Improving the railroad
infrastructure, including stations, is a vital part of overall high-speed
passenger rail program," said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.  "The
customer experience of train travel will be made better with station
improvements, and becoming ADA compliant is not only the right thing to do, it’s
the law."

FRA has released more than
$136 million of the $8 billion down payment provided in the Recovery Act for
the development of a national network of interconnected high-speed rail
corridors.