Biden Administration Announces $8.2 Billion in Funding for High-Speed Rail Projects

California and Nevada to Receive Major Portions of Funding for Rail Projects Amid Ongoing Challenges

The Biden administration has announced $8.2 billion in funding for 10 major passenger rail projects across the country, including two high-speed rail projects in California and Nevada.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority received $3.1 billion, the largest federal funding infusion to date for the project, to help complete the 119-mile segment under construction between Madera and Shafter in the Central Valley, buy six electric trains, and construct a train station in downtown Fresno.
Brightline secured $3 billion to build a 218-mile line that will carry passengers between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas in slightly more than two hours, significantly faster than driving.
The funding is part of the $66 billion in federal money set aside for the nation's passenger rail lines, like Amtrak, with dollars coming from Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Federal Railroad Administration's Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
Despite the funding, the projects still face significant challenges, including extended deadlines, cost overruns, and skepticism from both Republicans and Democrats.