President Obama’s high-speed passenger rail strategic plan will help address the Nation’s transportation challenges by investing in an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network of 100- to 600-mile intercity corridors that connect communities across America.
This plan lays the foundation for that network by investing in intercity rail infrastructure, equipment and intermodal connections, beginning with an $8 billion down payment provided under ARRA, and continuing with a high-speed rail grant program of $1 billion per year (as called for in the President’s FY2010 budget proposal). These first steps emphasize strategic investments that will yield tangible benefits to intercity rail infrastructure, equipment, performance, and intermodal connections over the next several years, while also creating a “pipeline” of projects to enable future corridor development.
Status Update
On October 2, WSDOT submitted its application for Track 2 projects within the $8 billion in Recovery Act funds dedicated for High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail. The primary focus of Track 2 projects is to develop new high speed and intercity passenger rail services, including substantial upgrades to existing services. WSDOT has a total of 26 capital rail projects that qualify for Track 2 consideration including all projects submitted in Track 1.
WSDOT applied in August for nearly $435 million in the first round of applications for Track 1 ready-to-go projects. The primary focus of Track 1 projects is to help speed economic recovery through construction of “ready-to-go” intercity passenger rail projects. WSDOT has a total of 20 capital rail projects that qualify for Track 1 consideration.
When completed, these projects will add an additional daily Amtrak Cascades round trip between Seattle and Portland, improve on-time reliability, reduce rail congestion, and provide enhanced service.
Together with the Track 2 application, WSDOT has applied for a total of more than $1.3 billion in ARRA High Speed Rail stimulus funds.
Led by Representative Jay Inslee and Senator Patty Murray, all nine of Washington’s Congressional members representing the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor signed a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood supporting WSDOT’s application for High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail stimulus funds.
The bipartisan effort is another example of the widespread support for WSDOT’s application and the further development of our state’s high speed passenger rail corridor.
In the letter, the congressional members emphasize the projects’ potential for creating jobs, decreasing travel delay, increasing capacity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions as primary benefits to approve the stimulus application.
Application process
In order to address the wide range of potential applicant goals and the varying stages of project development within statutory and program constraints, there are four funding “tracks” through which applications may be submitted:
Track 1 – Projects
This track is intended to satisfy the economic recovery goals of ARRA through construction of “ready-to-go” intercity passenger rail projects. Eligible projects include the acquiring, constructing, improving, or inspecting equipment, track and structures, or a facility; expenses incidental to the acquisition or construction of them (including designing, engineering, location surveying, mapping, environmental studies, and acquiring rights-of-way); payment for capital cost of rail trackage rights; highway-rail grade crossing improvements; mitigating environmental impacts; communication and signalization improvements; acquiring, constructing, relocating, and rehabilitating replacement housing; and rehabilitating, remanufacturing, or overhauling rail rolling stock. Environmental and preliminary engineering activities for these projects are generally complete.
Track 2 – Service Development Programs
This track is intended to develop new high-speed and intercity passenger services, including substantial upgrades to existing services. Projects do not need to be ready-to-go and the Federal Government may commit to fund the entire program through a Letter of Intent (LOI), and obligate funds through cooperative agreements that establish deadlines for completion of environmental, engineering, design and other work. Eligible projects are essentially the same as those listed in Track 1.
Track 3 – Service Planning Activities
Funded under the FY 2009 and FY 2008 DOT Appropriations Acts, this track is aimed at helping establish a pipeline of future projects and service development programs by aiding applicants advance planning activities for future implementation, requiring a 50 percent non-Federal match.
Track 4 – Appropriations-Funded Projects
This track provides an alternative for state applicants offering at least a 50 percent non-Federal share of financing through simplified grant agreement terms, and up to five years to complete projects. Eligible projects must be specifically included in a State applicant’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) and are similar to those under Tracks 1 and 2.
Key Dates:
- Applications for funding for Track 1 (Projects), Track 3 (Planning), and Track 4 (FY2009 Appropriations Projects) are due no later than August 24, 2009.
- Applications for funding Track 2 (Service Development Programs) are due no later than October 2, 2009.
Last revised on October 27, 2009