The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the state of California $928.6 million to start construction of a high-speed rail project.
The funds will support the initial phase of the project. Construction will begin on the Central Valley segment in Fresno next year.
Funding sources for high-speed rail construction beyond the initial one in California’s Central Valley remain in question due to budget constraints and surging cost estimates.
Earlier this month, the office of California Gov. Jerry Brown more than doubled the cost estimate for the state's high-speed rail network to $98.5 billion from a 2008 estimate of about $43 billion.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives last week passed a bill that eliminates high-speed rail funding for next year.
Follow Danny King on Twitter @dktravelweekly.