The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 allocated $8 billion to jumpstart the development of improved high-speed intercity passenger rail service in the United States. The Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor received $598 million. Of that amount, Oregon was awarded $8 million in the first round for three projects:

Replace the roof on Portland's historic Union Station, built in 1896.

Conduct preliminary engineering for two rail projects to improve mobility and reduce congestion in north Portland.

President Obama has pledged to include an additional $1 billion for high-speed intercity passenger rail in each of the next five years' budgets. Oregon will continue to compete for federal funds in future rounds.

For more information on Oregon Passenger Rail go to:

Protect yourself, your family and your co-workers by getting vaccinated and staying informed. The fewer of us who get sick from either seasonal influenza or pandemic H1N1 influenza, the more we can reduce the impact in our schools and workplaces. Visit the state's flu Web site at www.flu.oregon.gov or call the state hotline at 1-800-978-3040.