Applications for high-speed rail grant funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were due to FRA last Friday. They come on top of a previous group of 214 applications received from 34 states totaling $7 billion for intercity passenger railroad corridor planning and improvements to existing service.

The total amount requested ($57 billion) is more than seven times greater than the funding Congress appropriated for both programs ($8 billion).

"Due to the overwhelming response and our desire to lay the groundwork for a truly national high-speed and intercity passenger rail program, we will be announcing all awards this winter," Szabo said. "Our selections will be merit-based and will reflect President Obama's vision to remake America's transportation landscape. We look forward to further evaluating these proposals and spurring economic development while providing Americans with clean, energy-efficient transportation choices in the years and decades to come."

FRA had originally planned to announce the initial round of grant awards in late September or early October.

In a recent video on Transportation TV, Leo Penne, AASHTO's program director for intermodal activities, discusses how the rail grants will be distributed and and the various ways states will be able to use the funds. Penne also discusses how this unprecedented investment will affect the future of high-speed passenger rail in America. The video is available at www.TransportationTV.org/briefingroom_8.html.