More money is flowing out of Washington, D.C., for high-speed rail construction and upgrades, including some coming west to California.
California is sharing some $340 million with the Midwest. An additional $300 million is coming to Cali for the 'bullet train' from San Francisco to Los Angeles -- if it ever gets out of court and underway.
From the Associated Press:
Nearly $340 million will go toward state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. California will also get another $300 million toward trains that will travel up to 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
"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 rail cars,'' Vice President Joseph Biden said in a statement.
President Barack Obama has sought to create a national network of high-speed trains a signature project of his administration. He has said he wants to make fast trains accessible to 80 percent of Americans within 25 years.
Democratic leader, San Francisco's Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement that returning to the 'golden spike' days would be good for California.
“On the eve of the 142nd anniversary of the final ‘Golden Spike’ in the Transcontinental Railroad, today in California we celebrate the additional investment by the Obama Administration to a modern, 21st century high-speed rail system to rival any in the world. While other states may ignore the benefits of high-speed rail, California is ready to put investments to work immediately, building our statewide system – creating jobs, boosting domestic manufacturing and laying the track for long-term economic development. "
The money is available because Republican governors in four other states refused the cash and canceled the rail projects.
