Obama plans £9 billion for US high-speed rail

PRESIDENT Obama’s new economic recovery package for the United States includes and immediate $8 billion — over £5.5 billion — for high-speed passenger train services.

And in his next budget the President is expected to add $1 billion in each of the next five years, bringing the total for high-speed rail by 2013 to $13 billion (£9 billion).

Even before his election last November, Mr Obama had stressed the need to boost high-speed railways as part of his vision for rebuilding America.

Campaigning in Indiana, he talked of revitalising the Midwest by connecting cities with faster rail services to relieve congestion and improve energy conservation. 



“The time is right now for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities,” he said. “And think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America.”

In October 2008, former President George W Bush signed a bill authorising up to $1.5 billion (£1 billion) for high-speed rail until 2013. But Mr Obama's total commitment in the same period will now amount more than eight times that.

US web site Politico says that big hurdles remain, however — with much depending on winning the co-operation of the Class 1 freight lines that control many of the tracks outside the Northeast, where Amtrak runs its Acela service. 



But Politico says it is a landmark transportation investment and that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been given 60 days to come up with a strategic plan for the funds.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said the economic recovery legislation gives Secretary LaHood discretion to assign “priority to projects that support the development of intercity high-speed rail service.”

• At the time of last November’s presidential elections, voters in California voted in favour of a $10 billion (£6.9 billion) bond to make a start on a planned 800-mile high-speed rail network across the state. Now the White House has said the Californian project will qualify for some of President Obama’s $13 billion (£9 billion planned for the next five years.

Source : http://www.railnews.co.uk/