The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $48.3 million to the states of North Carolina and Virginia to advance the development of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, which will link Raleigh, N.C., to Washington, D.C. via Richmond, Va. 

These grants will ultimately spur high-speed and intercity passenger rail development as far south as Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, and to the Tidewater Region of Hampton Roads and Norfolk, Va.

The investment will fund a number of high-speed rail projects in North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.:

• North Carolina – $4 million for environmental and design work for the construction of a new connection between Raleigh and Richmond, that could reduce travel time to just two hours between the two cities, a reduction of one hour and 30 minutes from the current schedule. The North Carolina Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, will contribute $3.9 million toward this project.

• Virginia – $44.3 million for environmental analysis and preliminary engineering to prepare for the construction of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor between Washington and Richmond. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will contribute $11.1 million toward this project.