The state Department of Transportation plans to apply for $400 million to $500 million in federal grants this summer to upgrade the New Haven to Springfield rail line.

Proponents of a high-speed train that would link this High Desert city to Las Vegas say they are confident that the impending completion of environmental and financial plans will allow construction of a new rail line to begin in 2011.

President Barack Obama on Thursday called for spending at least $13 billion to launch a "new era" of high-speed passenger rail transportation, sparking competition among states and providing a potentially rich new market for rail equipment makers.