Amtrak, California Teaming Up On High-Speed Rail

WASHINGTON (AP) - The two biggest players in the nation's pursuit of high-speed rail say they'll work together to search for trains that will operate at up to 220 miles per hour along both coasts of the United States. Officials with Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced their venture Thursday.  The officials said they envision that the two systems will purchase about 60 trains over the next decade.

The aim is for manufacturers to design trains that will work for both systems. In the process, their combined buying power should work to help get better pricing from manufacturers.The high-speed rail efforts in California have come under increased scrutiny by members of Congress who say it has become too expensive to build and operate.