President Joe Biden is reportedly looking to back a plan to build a high-speed rail that would connect two major US cities and would be modeled after Japanese bullet trains.
The president’s interest in the long-discussed plan was reported exclusively by Reuters this week, highlighting that Biden is likely to discuss the project with Japan’s prime minister during his visit to Washington, D.C. this week.
The train would seek to connect Dallas and Houston and is seen by many as a major step toward potentially launching a national high-speed rail.
It is not clear if they will, but the report said the two world leaders may even publicly voice support for the multi-billion-dollar Texas project.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington will mark the first by a Japanese leader in nine years and comes as his nation’s largest steel manufacturer, Nippon Steel, plans to purchase U.S. Steel.
Reuters cited three sources familiar with the Wednesday talks, noting that the Dallas to Houston rail was on the agenda.
Still, public talks about the high-speed rail isn’t a guarantee, as Reuters also reported that a senior Biden administration official said the project did not appear to be at the point where officials would speak about its progress publicly.
While the White House has not commented on the report, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has publicly supported the plan.
Over the weekend, while speaking with NBC 5, Buttigieg appeared to give the administration’s approval of the rail.
“We believe in this,” Buttigieg said. “Obviously, it has to turn into a more specific design and vision, but everything I’ve seen makes me very excited.”