Tim Kelly and Trevor Hunnicutt
TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is seeking to revive interest in a plan to build the first high-speed rail in the United States using Japanese bullet trains, with sources saying he is likely to discuss the project with Japan’s prime minister in Washington. This week.
Leaders could publicly pledge support for the multibillion-dollar Texas project after Wednesday’s talks were partly overshadowed by U.S. opposition to another Japanese investment, Nippon Steel’s planned purchase of U.S. Steel.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit to Washington, the first by a Japanese leader in nine years, is aimed at showcasing closer security and economic ties between the allies.
A project linking Dallas and Houston will be on the agenda for talks, said three sources familiar with the summit preparations, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
This is likely to be mentioned in joint statements following the talks, two sources said.
However, a senior Biden administration official said the project did not appear to have reached the point where leaders could publicly announce progress.
All sources cautioned that details of the final agreements could change before the visit.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment, saying the governments were still agreeing on joint statements following the talks. The White House declined to comment.
Leaders’ support could unlock new revenue from the Federal Railroad Administration and other Department of Transportation funds.
But the project, estimated to cost $25 billion to $30 billion, still faces potential obstacles in Texas and the U.S. Congress.
Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has expressed support for the plan.
“We believe in it,” he told NBC 5 on Sunday. “Obviously it has to evolve into a more concrete design and vision, but everything I’ve seen I’m very excited about.”
Due to the vast distances between major cities, huge numbers of passengers, and lack of public transportation, the United States has attracted many proposals for high-speed rail.
But none were ever built due to political differences, land tenure issues and skyrocketing costs.
A train linking Houston and Dallas, the fourth and fifth most populous metropolitan areas in the United States, has been discussed since the 1980s. Previous efforts were blocked due to objections from private landowners along the route.
Biden and Kishida’s support, proponents say, will help attract money from private investors to implement the shovel-ready plan.
The 240-mile (380-kilometer) rail link, to be built and operated by Texas Central Partners and Amtrak, is expected to cut travel time between the cities to about 90 minutes from 3.5 hours by car. .
Japanese government lenders, including the Japan International Corporation Bank, have provided loans to help develop the project, which involves purchasing shinkansen bullet train technology from Central Japan Railways.
Progress on the project would be a win for the Biden administration, which has been pushing climate-friendly policies and rail investments.
But it is likely to draw criticism, especially from conservative Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives, who have opposed using public funds for rail projects in the past, as well as using them now to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which was destroyed cargo ship last month.
Plans for possible approval from leaders follow Biden’s opposition to Nippon Steel’s plan to buy US Steel Corp, saying it should remain in US hands.
Biden, who signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill in 2021 that includes $66 billion for rail projects, will face Donald Trump in a rematch in November’s presidential election.
With voters putting the economy first, Democratic President Biden is promoting government-backed construction projects that aides say could create jobs and reduce inflationary pressures.