WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Patty Murray says Washington state is in line to receive $590 million for a high-speed rail line from Seattle to Portland, Ore.
Murray says the money will increase the number of Amtrak passenger trains between the region’s two biggest cities, as well as reduce rail congestion and improve on-time reliability.
President Barack Obama plans to announce grants for 13 major corridors — including the Northwest — during a town hall meeting Thursday in Tampa, Fla. It will be his first public appearance following Wednesday night’s State of the Union speech.
Murray is a Democrat who chairs the Senate panel that funds transportation. She calls the grant announcement “a big win” for the region that will help create new jobs, improve passenger and freight travel and benefit the environment.
