White House and state transportation officials were in Durham, North Carolina this afternoon to announce the awarding of $520 million to the state for improvements to the rail corridor between Charlotte and Raleigh. The state also received another $25 million from the Federal stimulus package for rail line improvements from Raleigh north to Virginia.

In a statement, Governor Beverly Perdue applauded the project for putting people to work and helping the state take a huge leap forward in making high-speed rail a reality in North Carolina. The project is expected to create or maintain 4,800 jobs in the state's private sector.

The grant is from an $8 billion share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act reserved for high-speed rail projects. It will fund nearly 30 rail line projects intended to improve rail speed and service between the largest cities in North Carolina.

Please click here to read the Governor's press release.