Prepared Remarks for Secretary Ray LaHood:  White House High-Speed Rail Announcement

April 16, 2009

The Department of Transportation is proud to support President Obama’s vision for new and improved passenger rail service for America.

Train travel has a long and honored place in our nation’s history.

Nearly 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln approved construction of the Union-Pacific Railroad. It would stretch from Iowa to California.

Many people at the time said this was an impossible project. They said building a railroad thousands of miles over rough terrain – including the Sierra-Nevada Mountains – couldn’t be done.

But the Union-Pacific was indeed completed – in just 7 years. Regrettably, Lincoln did not live to see it.

It was one of the great engineering marvels of the 19th century.

This year, as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, it is fitting that we recapture that ambitious, can-do spirit.

And it is fitting -- in an era of highway and airport congestion -- that we once again make passenger rail an important part of our national transportation strategy.

All around the country, people are asking for more rail service. Ridership on Amtrak, light rail, commuter rail, and subways, is on the rise.

And across Europe and Asia, people enjoy the comfort and convenience of high-speed train travel.

That’s why it’s so important for us to jump-start a new era in American train travel.

We need to develop new passenger rail corridors where it makes sense to do so -- and integrate them with our highways, airports, transit hubs, and urban centers.

I’m pleased to announce that we will soon begin meeting with an array of stakeholder groups, to get their views on how we should move forward on rail.

It’s the right thing to do for our mobility – and for the environment.

Rail systems powered by clean diesel or electric power are energy-efficient. They’re capable of removing billions of pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

Years from now, Americans will look back on this time as a game-changer.

A time when we got serious about putting public transportation to work on behalf of all Americans.

A time when we recognized that passenger rail can play a key role in making our communities more livable and sustainable.

Our journey is just beginning – but we have a clear vision of where we’re headed.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership on this important issue.