Va. will apply for stimulus rail funds

Virginia notified the federal government that it will submit economic stimulus applications for more than $2 billion worth of high-speed rail projects in its most congested travel corridors.

The state's applications will focus on projects supporting speedy passenger rail service between Washington and Petersburg, and from Richmond to Hampton Roads.

The Interstate 95 rail corridor from Washington to Petersburg is the state's top priority for passenger rail improvements because of its population density and its link to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the proposed Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor.

Virginia told the Federal Railroad Administration yesterday that it will apply for two projects in the I-95 corridor:

• $72 million in rail infrastructure improvements between Fredericksburg and Prince William County, called the Arkendale to Powell's Creek project, which the state says is "ready-to-go" work.

• $1.57 billion for additional tracks, signal, station and rail-yard improvements from Washington to Petersburg. This project includes the Arkendale to Powell's Creek work, in case the railroad administration decides to fund the project as part of the larger corridor program.

If the state receives the funds and starts work by next July, the projects could be completed in 2017, according Charles M. Badger, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

The state also will apply for $330 million to $844 million to expand and speed up passenger rail service in the Richmond-Hampton Roads corridor, the second priority for Virginia passenger rail projects.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's rail-stimulus program will provide $8 billion in federal funds for high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects across the country.

"Virginia has made significant investments in rail options to help rebalance our transportation network in the commonwealth," Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said in a statement.