The dreams of high-speed rail (HSR) enthusiasts just came one step closer to reality. On Friday, Dec. 8, the White House announced $8.2 billion in funding for HSR projects and HSR corridor studies around the country — one of the largest investments of its kind. 

One of the HSR corridors to be studied would connect Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world.

Studies for a route between the two cities have been conducted before, with the 274-mile “Greenfield Corridor” as the preferred option that would slice travel time between the cities in half with 10 stops, but little action came from it. This time, however, things could be different — in large part due to an increasing demand for local and regional mass transit and the federal funds to back it up.

Funding for the Atlanta to Charlotte corridor study is allocated in the amount of $500,000, with no timelines as of yet on when the study will be completed. Another $500,000 each is also being set aside for similar studies — called “corridor identification grants” — between Atlanta and Savannah and Atlanta and Chattanooga, TN, according to Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office.

The funding announcement also specified other projects that will receive portions of the $8.2 billion total, including upgrades to frequently used existing routes and $3.1 billion for the advancement of a 171-mile electrified high-speed line that will link California’s parts of Central Valley, with hopes to expand towards San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The investments are part of the Biden administration’s “Investing in America” agenda, which includes the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law in 2021. The U.S. has long lagged behind other nations in rail, both locally and regionally. HSR, the kind that the White House is funding and allocating funds to study, would fall more under the regional side.

HSR is generally defined as a passenger…