July 10, 2009
Contact: Gordon Hickey
(804) 225-4260
www.governor.virginia.gov
VIRGINIA SUBMITS PRE-APPLICATIONS FOR MORE THAN $2 BILLION OF HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECTS FROM FEDERAL RECOVERY FUNDS
~ Proposals focus on Washington, DC to Petersburg line ~
Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced that the Commonwealth has submitted pre-applications for more than $2 billion of high speed rail projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) high speed rail program. The rail stimulus program will provide $8 billion in federal funds to support high speed and intercity passenger rail projects across the country. Virginia’s applications focus on the I-95 corridor between Washington, DC and Petersburg. The projects will further the Commonwealth’s commitment to commercial and passenger rail options, including recent infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships.
“Virginia has made significant investments in rail options to help rebalance our transportation network in the Commonwealth,” Governor Kaine said. “As we continue to work towards high speed rail in Virginia, the availability of ARRA funds will help deliver more transportation choices and economic benefits to the public much more quickly than we would otherwise be able to achieve.”
The Commonwealth has submitted pre-applications that reflect the highest priorities for passenger rail investment in Virginia’s most congested travel corridors.
The I-95 rail corridor between Washington, DC and Petersburg is the top priority corridor for passenger rail improvements in Virginia based on population and employment densities, in addition to its strategic location connecting Virginia to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor. Virginia has invested more than $197 million in this corridor to date, and recently executed an agreement with Amtrak to initiate a new Northeast Corridor train between Richmond and Washington, DC.
Completion of the following projects would support high speed passenger rail service in this corridor, and were submitted in pre-applications:
Arkendale to Powell’s Creek: $72 million in rail infrastructure improvements between Fredericksburg and Prince William County, including 11 miles of third track; proposed for Round 1 funding under Track 1 as a “ready to go” project. This project could advance independently of the Washington, DC to Petersburg corridor program defined below.
Washington, DC to Petersburg: $1.57 billion in rail infrastructure improvements such as additional tracks and signal, station and rail yard improvements; proposed for Round 1 funding under Track 2 as a corridor development program. This project includes Arkendale to Powell’s Creek as described above, in the event that FRA elects to fund the project as part of a corridor development program.
The Richmond/Hampton Roads corridor is the next priority for Virginia passenger rail enhancements. The limited transportation capacity in this region requires greater investment in choices such as passenger rail, and the current federal environmental study underway will provide the information needed to advance high speed rail service for this region.
Federal funding is required to advance this initiative from planning into construction, and the following pre-application was submitted:
Richmond/Hampton Roads: $330-$844 million in rail infrastructure improvements to support the introduction of high speed rail service between Richmond and Hampton Roads; proposed for Round 2 funding under Track 2. This project is proposed for Round 2 since a federal Environmental Impact Statement is currently underway to select the high speed route, and should be completed prior to Round 2 grant awards. The cost is expressed in a range since the exact route has not yet been determined.
The federal rail stimulus program is organized into Tracks based on the types of projects to be submitted. Track 1 includes “ready to go” projects, Track 2 includes corridor development programs, Track 3 includes planning initiatives and Track 4 includes “ready to go” projects for which applicants offer at least 50 percent non-federal funding.
The Commonwealth has demonstrated its commitment to advancing rail initiatives through a dedicated state funding source, the Rail Enhancement Fund. In addition, since 2007 a portion of transportation bonds has been dedicated to rail initiatives. Virginia has also successfully negotiated complex agreements with Amtrak and freight railroads to initiate new service, in addition to funding new passenger rail operations.
Transportation options such as passenger rail provide congestion relief and economic benefits by encouraging tourism, supporting jobs and promoting local investment. According to the Virginia Statewide Rail Plan, the total wages of Amtrak employees in Virginia amount to more than $50 million per year, and Amtrak spends approximately $50 million per year for goods and services in Virginia.
The timeline for grant awards includes at least two rounds, with Round 1 in fall 2009 and Round 2 in spring 2010. States were requested to submit pre-applications for all projects no later than July 10, 2009, even if projects will be submitted as part of later rounds of grant awards. Complete details of the program funding criteria, timeline and project selection process are available online at http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2153.
