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A national coalition of rail, transportation and consumer advocacy groups held a rally at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station this week, calling on Congress to increase FY2011 high-speed rail appropriations to $4 billion.

America 2050 members believe the “strong need for significantly higher appropriations” is evidenced by the Federal Railroad Administration receiving $50 billion in applications for the $8 billion available in high-speed stimulus funds. Additional funding for high-speed rail will modernize the U.S. transportation system, stimulate economic and job growth and advance energy policy, according to the coalition. Studies have shown that high-speed rail could increase mobility and improve the national transportation network, generate more than 2 million U.S. jobs, avoid 11 million tons of emissions annually and cut the nation’s oil dependence by nearly 600 million gallons each year, the coalition added.

Meanwhile, America 2050 member say it’s vital that Congress fund Amtrak at $2.6 billion in the coming fiscal year in order to launch a long-delayed fleet program to replace aging rail cars and equipment while helping to develop an American manufacturing base.