SACRAMENTO-The California High-Speed Rail Authority was awarded$715 million from the federal government, bringing to $4.3 billionthe funding secured to begin construction on the core of the systemin 2012. The project is expected to put thousands of Californiansto work.

According to California High-Speed Rail Authority chairman, CurtPringle, “Federal funding has once again invigorated the projectand will be a huge boost to the state’s economy. He adds that “Thekey to developing this system is to create a core—a backbone forthe system that will connect our major metropolitan cities. Thisfunding helps us do that and lets us begin to capitalize on whathigh-speed rail means for California in jobs and developmentopportunity and in a more mobile and efficient state.”

The first phase of the 800-mile high-speed rail system will spanthe San Francisco Bay Area to the Los Angeles metropolitan area andwill be built in several sections to manage the constructionprocess and gets trains on the tracks as soon as possible. Thefederal funding received includes a designation that $715 millionof the funding be used on an eligible section in the CentralValley, earmarking the money for either the Merced-to-Fresno orFresno-to-Bakersfield sections.