State gets extra $624M for high-speed rail

California will receive an additional $624 million in high-speed rail money after the government pulled Wisconsin and Ohio's funding for rail projects in those states.

Wisconsin had been allocated $810 million for a high-speed rail line and Ohio $400 million, but Republican governors elected last month in those states had called the money wasteful federal spending during the campaign and said they would pull the plug on developing high-speed rail.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that he was reallocating those funds.

While 14 states will divvy up $1.195 billion as a result, California is getting the lion's share. Other big gainers were Florida, with an extra $342.3 million, and Washington state at $161.5 million.

California's high-speed rail effort has already received $2.474 billion in stimulus funds, and $5 billion in total federal money.