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The Oregon and Washington departments of transportation have received an additional $26.5 million in grants for development of a high-speed rail line between Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the award today along with $2.4 billion for high-speed rail development projects around the country. Planning and environmental studies will be performed on the potential Eugene-to-Portland rail corridor with $4.2 million of the award, including an update of the state’s overall passenger rail plan. Another $4 million will go toward a preliminary engineering and environmental study on potential renovations and track improvements at Portland’s historic Union Station to prepare the structure for future high-speed rail.

The plans make future rail funding more likely, according to Betsy Imholt, rail study director with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“Until we are done with an environmental impact statement, we can’t compete for the big money for rail construction,” Imholt said.

The remaining funds will be used by the Washington Department of Transportation to complete upgrades to Seattle’s King Street Station to expand passenger facilities and seismically retrofit the building in anticipation of a future high-speed rail line.

This award adds to grant funds Oregon and Washington DOTs received in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for high-speed rail projects.