High-Speed Trains Get Green Light

The USA took a first step toward building a national high-speed rail network when the Obama administration announced the winners of $8 billion in grants for rail-building projects Thursday.

"We want to start looking deep into the 21st century," President Obama said at a town hall meeting in Tampa. "There's no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can't."

Thirteen existing rail corridors in 31 states will receive funds. The big winners: California, Florida and Illinois.

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High-speed rail advocates, who have seen the U.S. fall far behind Japan, France and China in developing fast passenger trains, were elated. They acknowledge, however, that intercity high-speed rail is still a long way away.

"We're in the very beginning stage of seeing that happen," said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. "It's a small first step, but it's an exciting first step."

He cautioned that the U.S. has taken a similar first step before but did not follow through. Harnish said the world's first train built to cruise at 150 mph was developed in Chicago in 1967.

John Robert Smith, co-chairman of Transportation for America, a coalition of highway safety, conservation and other groups advocating less use of cars, said a high-speed rail network could be completed in two decades.

"China is spending $500 billion over 20 years to do it, Smith said. "If this country has the vision to follow through on the president's vision, we will have the high-speed rail network, and we can have it in 20 years."

He said much of the grant money will be used to upgrade existing track and signaling systems, improve crossings and do other work to prepare for high-speed rail, and that the important second step will be congressional approval of funds to move the projects forward.

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