The cost of putting a passenger trains on Norfolk Southern's existing freight tracks between Petersburg and Norfolk would be far less than the state's original estimate, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Bringing high-speed rail to Virginia is becoming an effort that is encouraging various localities, organizations and departments to work together in order to receive federal funding. The addition of the service could greatly improve transportation along the eastern part of the state, and make way for future growth.

Even you will never ride the proposed rail service, you will still be affected by it. The economic possibilities that could happen because of enhanced transporation services in the area will help boost your property value.

"Norfolk Southern Corp. projects the cost of putting conventional passenger rail on its freight tracks between Petersburg and Norfolk at $75 million, far less than the state's estimate.

State estimates released in July show that slightly faster trains, 90-110 mph versus 79 mph, in the same corridor would cost $262 million.

Chip Badger, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation director, said the state numbers include passenger stations and other costs not counted in Norfolk Southern's estimate. Pricing details will not be released for possibly several weeks, he said.

High-speed rail has become a hot topic in Hampton Roads with the impending release of a state study into the costs and ridership of bringing trains to the area and with the Obama administration's $8 billion in federal stimulus money set aside to build a high-speed train network.

The state is seeking stimulus money to build higher-speed rail between Washington and Richmond and between Richmond and Hampton Roads. The projects are among $102 billion worth of projects nationally vying for the federal money.

Deborah H. Butler, the railroad's executive vice president of planning and chief information officer, told a gathering of the Urban Land Institute on Wednesday that the $75 million for improving the corridor that roughly parallels U.S. 460 is about half the company's early estimate."

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