WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – New passenger rail projects across the country are getting a major funding boost from the Transportation Department.
On Friday the agency announced $8.2 billion in funding for 10 rail projects across the U.S., including the country's first high-speed rail systems. Also, millions more will be allocated to jumpstart future rail projects.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hopes the new investments gets U.S. rail on the right track.
"The U.S. should have the best in everything, passenger rails should not be an exception," Buttigieg said.
The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.
"With these $8 billion dollars we can make a major difference in places from Maine to Montana to California," Buttigieg said.
$6 billion is going to two new high-speed rail projects. One will connect Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area and the other will connect Southern and Northern California.
Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) is celebrating the new funding.
"Good for transportation, good for quality of life, and good for the environment based on the electrification of the transportation sector," Padilla said.
$1 billion is going to a new passenger rail between Richmond, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) says investments like this are why he supported the infrastructure package.
"We're excited to be a part of this major announcement," Tillis said.
Beyond the money going to the 10 rail projects, the Department is also granting millions to dozens of future projects meant to lay the tracks for new rail development.
"There are so many opportunities for better, more reliable, faster passenger rail," Buttigieg said.
Although many of the projects will take years to finish, Sec. Buttigieg says the payoff will be worth it. He also predicts this isn't the end of the line.
"When we deliver that kind of service improvement, we know there's going to be momentum and demand to do even more in the next round of infrastructure funding," Buttigieg said.
You can find more details about the 10 new projects here.
You can find more details about the other grants for future projects here.
