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High Speed Rail & Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 DOT Appropriations

High Speed Rail

Earlier this year, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in effort to move our nation toward economic recovery. ARRA provided $9.3 billion for high speed and intercity passenger rail which included $1.3 billion for Amtrak and $8 billion for the development of high speed rail. Additional funds have been approved by Congress in their version of FY 2010 DOT Appropriations with $2.5 billion designated for high speed rail and $1.56 billion for Amtrak. Finally, the House T & I Committee released its version of a Surface Transportation Bill which would provide $50 billion over six years for high speed rail corridors and the President has announced that he would also like to see $1 billion a year over five years in the federal budget for high speed rail. This massive infusion of capital money for high speed rail provides the potential for revitalizing the U.S. manufacturing sector if it is done in the correct way.

On January 28, 2010, President Obama announced the states that will receive the $8 billion in USDOT grants from ARRA funds in order to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. The awards will serve as a down-payment on developing or laying the groundwork for 13 new, large-scale high-speed rail corridors across the country. The major corridors are part of a total of 31 states receiving investments, including smaller projects and planning work that will help lay the groundwork for future high-speed intercity rail service.

Full List of HSR Awards

FY 2010 DOT Appropriations

Congress approved the following levels for these DOT programs in FY 2010:

  • $2 million for grants to Amtrak and States for participation in the next generation corridor equipment pool committee
  • $37.6 million for Railroad Research & Development
  • $34.5 million for rail line relocation program
  • $50 million for PTC grants
  • $2.5 billion for additional high speed rail projects. Unlike the $8 billion in the February 2009 stimulus funding for HSR which do not require a local match, these funds are 80/20 match.
  • Up to $50 million of these funds may be used for planning activities.
  • Up to $50 million of these funds can be used by FRA for administrative and oversight purposes related to the HSR program.
  • Up to $30 million of these HSR funds are available to FRA to conduct research and demonstrating technologies supporting the development of high-speed rail and the demonstration of next-generation rolling stock fleet technology and to fund the Rail Cooperative Research Program.
  • No funding for the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank
  • $1.56 billion for Amtrak - $563 million for operating grants and $1 billion for capital and debt service payment grants.
  • $2 billion for FTA Capital Investment Grants (New Starts)

RSI POSITION: RSI supports full funding for Amtrak and High Speed Rail