State seeking rail funds
Washington wants $1 billion for high-speed projects
TACOMA – Washington state is applying for $1 billion in federal stimulus money to pay for high-speed rail projects.
The state Department of Transportation applied earlier this week for $435 million to pay for 20 rail projects along the “high-speed” corridor between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C. State officials say the projects will add additional daily Amtrak passenger trains between Seattle and Portland, as well as reduce rail congestion and improve on-time reliability.
The project list includes upgrades to tracks and facilities in Blaine, Everett, Seattle, Kalama and Vancouver.
By October, the state plans to apply for another batch of federal money for rail projects, boosting Washington’s total request to $1 billion.
Andrew Wood, deputy director of the DOT’s Rail and Marine Division, said the state has a good chance of getting money for several projects.
“We’re a long-established corridor and our long-range plans have been out there for a long time,” Wood told the News Tribune of Tacoma. “A lot of our competitors have only just started getting their plans together.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed in February provides $8 billion for high-speed rail corridors.