U.S. Issues $6B in High-Speed Rail Grants

The Biden administration is granting more than $6 billion in new funding for high-speed rail projects on the West Coast, the White House announced Friday. The grants are part of an $8.2 billion package for 10 passenger rail projects across the country. 

One high-speed grant, for up to $3 billion, is for Brightline—which has developed a high-speed rail system in Florida between Orlando and Miami—for a new rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., about 37 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The high-speed rail route is projected to result in trips of just over two hours, according to the White House. The project also will allow for connections to the Los Angeles metro area via the Metrolink commuter rail system.

The second high-speed grant is for nearly $3.1 billion for the California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project in the state’s Central Valley. The money will be used to design and extend the rail line between Bakersfield and Merced, purchase new high-speed trainsets and construct the Fresno station, according to the White House. The 171-mile rail corridor “will support high-speed travel with speeds up to 220 miles per hour.”

“Electric high-speed rail trains will take millions of cars off the roads and reduce emissions, further cementing intercity rail as an environmentally friendly alternative to flying or driving and saving time for millions of Americans,” according to the White House.