President Obama proposes to help address the Nation's transportation challenges by investing in an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network of 100- to 600-mile intercity development models with a 21st century solution that focuses on a clean, energy-efficient option (even today's modest intercity passenger rail system consumes one-third less energy per passenger-mile than automobiles, for example). Developing a comprehensive high-speed intercity passenger rail network will require a long-term commitment at both the Federal and State levels. The President proposes to jump-start the process with the $8 billion down payment provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and a high-speed rail grant program of $1 billion per year (proposed in his fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget). These first steps emphasize strategic investments that will yield tangible benefits to intercity rail infrastructure, equipment, performance, and intermodal connections over the next several years, while also creating a "pipeline" of projects to enable future corridor development.