On The Fast Track?
The Obama administration is pushing the development of high-speed-rail lines, claiming that ultrafast trains would ease traffic, help the environment and boost the economy. Critics question those claims — and say the United States has a long way to go to catch up with other countries' rail travel.
Interactive Map: U.S. High-Speed-Rail Proposals
()The Obama administration is advocating the development of a nationwide system of high-speed rail lines to ease traffic, help the environment and boost the economy. See an interactive map with details of the proposed projects.
Some Regions Better Prepared For High-Speed Rail()
September 1, 2009 The Obama administration will soon announce the recipients of grants from an $8 billion high-speed-rail fund, and it is likely to favor projects that are furthest along in planning. NPR looks at where the key regions of Florida, the Northwest and the South stand.
States Make Pitches For High-Speed-Rail Money()
August 31, 2009 As the Obama administration prepares to start doling out $8 billion in funding for high-speed-train projects, proposals have flooded in from around the country. Forty states and the District of Columbia have already requested more than $100 billion for high-speed-rail projects. Though many projects are ambitious, the U.S. is still far away from a European- or Asian-style rail network, experts say.
