US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the funds are a part of a $5 billion package for the National Railroad Partnership Program, which would provide money to intercity passenger rail projects that emphasize safety and critical infrastructure upgrades. The announcement comes after the federal government moved to slash roughly $4 billion of aid from the state’s high-speed rail project, which has been plagued with significant cost overruns and delays since its approval in 2008. President Donald Trump and Duffy have been long-time critics of that project, arguing that the effort has wasted taxpayer dollars.