WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling for a six-year, $53 billion investment in high-speed rail as he seeks to use infrastructure spending to create jobs.
The White House says Obama will call for an initial $8 billion investment in the budget he is set to release next week. The president set a goal in his State of the Union address of giving 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.
If Congress approves Obama's budget, the initial rail spending would focus on developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects.
Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will announce the initiative during an event Tuesday in Philadelphia.
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