David Crane, Special Advisor to the Governor and Chair, High Speed Rail Commission, California.

WHITEHOUSE: Vice President Biden Transportation Secretary LaHood Hold High Speed Rail Roundtable on Wednesday June 3rd | The White House

"Maryland and the NEC (Northeast Corridor) would benefit greatly from receipt of the federal high-speed rail funds recently rejected by the governor of Florida, " Democratic Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said in a statement addressed to LaHood.

CNN: States hope to cash in on Florida's rejection of rail funds

"We accept that growth is likely to remain positive, but believe that the speed of the recovery will be somewhat slower than the governor indicated", he said.

BBC: Bank of England upgrades economic growth forecasts

Meanwhile, the cost of completing high-speed rail links has become a campaign issue in some governor's races, with Republican candidates in California, Ohio and Wisconsin criticizing the projects as wasteful spending.

WSJ: High-Speed-Rail Costs Irk States

In Wisconsin, the outgoing governor Jim Doyle claimed over 4, 700 jobs directly related to the high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and Madison would have been realized at the height of construction.

CNN: High price derails some U.S. bullet trains