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It will cost an estimated $77.7 billion to bring the nation’s rail and bus transit systems to a state of good repair, according to a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) study released yesterday. In addition, a yearly average of $14.4 billion would be required to maintain the systems, the FTA estimates.

The "National State of Good Repair Assessment Study," which was requested by U.S. Transportation secretary Ray LaHood as a follow-up to the 2009 Rail Modernization Study report to Congress, is based on data provided by 36 additional rail and bus operators in both rural and urban areas.

Most of the $77.7 billion backlog can be attributed to rail, according to the FTA.