Florida’s high speed rail loss will not be Virginia’s gain.
Florida rejected $2.4 billion in federal money to build a high speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. Prior to being awarded the money, Virginia under Gov. Timothy M. Kaine applied for $1.8 billion in available federal money to fund the creation of a high speed rail corridor between Richmond and Washington.
This time around, the money given up by Florida has too many strings attached, officials say.
Of the $2.4 billion, $1.6 billion of the funds are essentially free money from the federal government. But in order to get the final $800 million, Virginia would have to provide 20 percent matching funds –– something the state does not have right now.
“In order to receive the money, we would have put up the matching funds, and have the Washington – Richmond high speed rail project finished by 2017. If not, we would have to repay the money, and that’s not something that we wanted to commit the state to right now,” said Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation spokeswoman Courtney Ware.
The Washington – Richmond high speed rail corridor remains a priority for DRPT, but several projects have to be completed for the vision for high speed rail in the corridor becomes reality, said Ware.
Last year, the state was awarded $45.5 million in federal funds to complete a second level environmental study on the proposed rail line, as well as money to begin the preliminary engineering on a bridge across the Appomattox River –– a regular choke point for trains.
Overall, the Washington – Richmond project calls for the construction of a third set of rails between the two cities, alongside the rail line owned by CSX and used by Virginia Railway Express.
Though the state lost out in its bid for federal high speed rail money, it did in 2009 manage to win $75 million in federal funds to build a third track from Powell’s Creek in Prince William County to Arkendale in Stafford County, to alleviate congestion on the rails.
