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GREENSBORO — Uncle Sam is betting $520 million you’ll think twice about driving to Charlotte or Raleigh if a train can get you there in an hour.

That’s how much stimulus money the federal government gave North Carolina recently for the Raleigh-to-Charlotte run, with Triad stops in Greensboro, Burlington and High Point.

The award covers enough work to make high-speed rail a reality in the Central Piedmont in four or five years, said Gene Conti, state secretary of transportation.

“On the Raleigh-to-Charlotte connection, we’re going to be in good shape to get our average speed up to 90 mph, where we’re averaging just over 50 mph now,” Conti said. “Going from that to 90 mph is huge.”

The aim of high-speed rail at the regional level is curbing highway congestion and pollution, primarily by getting commuters off the roads.

“High-speed rail will provide business and leisure travelers with a competitive option to car or air travel for distances of 100 to 500 miles,” said Joan Bagherpour of North Carolina’s rail program.

The new money comes from $8 billion in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to improve rail service nationwide. North Carolina is a leader in that effort; it has made

$300 million in rail improvements since 1992, when Raleigh-to-Charlotte was added to the nation’s high-speed network.

The route belongs to the national Southeast High Speed Rail corridor, which eventually could extend from Washington through Atlanta. The larger route won a total of $620 million in stimulus money for work in both Virginia and the Tar Heel State.

North Carolina’s piece of the larger award was $545 million, but $25 million is earmarked for the route from Raleigh to Richmond. That route is not as close to completion as Charlotte-to-Raleigh.

“For the Raleigh-to-Charlotte (leg), we got pretty much everything we asked for,” Conti said of the $520 million.

Readying tracks for high-speed travel involves removing obstacles that make trains slow down, such as street crossings and sharp curves.

In all, the $520 million package covers about 30 separate projects that include adding two trains to the four now running between Raleigh and Charlotte. Part of the money will buy and refurbish additional locomotives and passenger cars for the expansion.

Relocating the Carmon Road rail crossing in McLeansville is the biggest Guilford project in the recent stimulus award. It will cost about $6.6 million to divert the crossing on a new bridge over the tracks.

The package also includes $2.8 million for computerized equipment to improve general security and access for disabled people at Galyon Depot and eight other stations on the high-speed route.

In addition, High Point’s station will get $2.2 million in improved parking, with a lot on High Avenue for 60 more cars. And the passenger platform at Burlington’s station will be enlarged at a cost of $334,000.

Several projects on the route in eastern Greensboro were not included in the stimulus award, one because money already is available for it and several others because they are in the early planning stages.

The state Rail Division has lined up other financing to eliminate the Pine Street crossing by realigning two other nearby streets, said Craig McKinney of the Greensboro Department of Transportation.

Planning work is just starting on changes to rail crossings at Franklin Boulevard, O’Ferrell Street, and Buchanan Church, Maxfield and Naco roads.

Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or taft.wireback@news-record.com