White House Budget Includes Money for High-Speed Rail

Today, CNN posted video about Obama's high speed rail agenda, but it wouldn't load, so I fished around for more news. The number I see consistently in all articles is $8 billion which is apparently just barely a drop in the hat.

http://www.truthout.org/030909O
From the article:

...experts and government officials caution that despite the billions, the amounts are still not nearly enough to pay for the kind of sleek "bullet train" systems that crisscross Europe and Japan at speeds of 200 mph or higher. The California project, for example, would cost an estimated $45 billion, including $9 billion in state bonds that voters approved last year.

"It sounds like a lot of money to Americans, but it's really just a start," said James P. RePass, president of the National Corridors Initiative, a nonprofit rail advocacy group. "We're not going to wake up in a year and see a bullet train. But we are going to see much faster service for relatively little money."

This article posted on Feb. 26 '09:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/26/obamas-first-budget-transport-gets-money-for-high-speed-rail/

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Money for high-speed rail links and an upgraded air-traffic control system is included in President Barack Obama's first annual budget, introduced Thursday.

The following are some of the key transportation figures and proposals in the fiscal year 2010 budget:

– Funding for the Department of Transportation would increase by $2 billion, from $70.5 billion to $72.5 billion

– The Transportation Department would receive another $48.1 billion in the stimulus package, which is separate from the budget

– A five-year, $5 billion state grant program would boost high-speed rail. This money would come on top of the $8 billion already allocated to high-speed rail in the stimulus package. The administration envisions the creation of environmentally friendly "high-speed rail corridors across the country linking regional population centers."

– $800 million would go toward upgrading the air-traffic control system.

The government's fiscal year runs from October of one year through September of the next.

Link to the White House budget .pdf file:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/a_new_era_of_responsibility2.pdf