SACRAMENTO, Calif. (NEWSnet/AP) — The Biden administration will designate more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the U.S. West, providing a boost to both long-stalled projects.

U.S. senators from California and Nevada said the federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. In addition, there will be another $3.1 billion intended for an initial segment of California’s publicly-funded effort to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The money is a fraction of the total cost to build the routes.

But it signals the Biden administration’s commitment to high-speed rail, a mode of public transportation commonplace in Europe and Asia.

“The federal government is back on building high speed rail in America,” said Brian Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority that is overseeing the public project. “This award is just a great leap forward.”

California voters had approved the passenger high speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2008. At the time, the project was projected to cost about $30 billion and be up and running by 2020. If running today, it would be the nation’s fastest train service by far.

The cost of the project price spiked to more than $100 billion, of which only about $25 billion in funding has been identified by state officials.

The recently pledged federal funding focuses on plans for a 119-mile section that would connect the cities of Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield, which would not open until 2033 at the latest.

The route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles has been talked about for decades, and Nevada U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen told reporters the project now has all required right-of-way and environmental approvals, along with labor agreements, for work to start on about 218 miles along the Interstate 15 corridor.

No date was announced for work to start. But Rosen said electric-powered trains could be carrying passengers by the time Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028.

High speed railroad has in the meantime started to provide passenger service between Miami and Orlando, with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph.

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