Northeast To Benefit From FL Gov. Rick Scott's Rejection Of Rail Money

After Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected billions in federal funding for high speed rail development, the feds invited other states to apply for the money. And as it turns out, the primary beneficiaries of Scott's short-sightedness will be commuters on Amtrak's northeast rail corridor.

The largest share of the money—nearly $800 million—will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor, the department said in a statement. Another $404 million will go to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest, including newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago that are expected to save passengers 30 minutes in travel time. Nearly $340 million will go toward state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. California will also get another $300 million toward trains that will travel up to 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Two other GOP governors also rejected federal rail money.