To achieve this, the Russian state railway spent $485 million upgrading the track and $926 million for eight Sapsan trains and a 30-year service agreement, at today's exchange rates.
The idea, going all the way back to John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s, is that there will be a knock-on effect through the economy, as the workers employed to build new roads or railways spend their wages and salaries.
East Japan Railway has spent about $165,000 to install the blue lights at all of the Yamanote line stations.
Under orders from Congress to wean itself from federal operating subsidies, the railway will spend four to six months seeking ways "to eliminate overlapping operations, tighten cost controls and improve revenue opportunities," Mr. Warrington said.
In terms of realpolitik, yes, the Osborne plan is indicative of metropolitan arrogance, falls way short of powers for which the leaders of English cities have been pushing (over railways, benefit spending and more), and does nothing to address councils' parlous financial position.
At an operations control center in the English city of Derby, a handful of railway engineers spend their days focusing intently on four large wall-mounted computer screens displaying data about the conditions of the engines, the heating and cooling systems and whether a door might be jammed on any of 33 Scottish trains.
There will be less appetite for discussing whether to close those unprofitable rural railways that spend most of their time "carting fresh air around the country", as Alistair Darling, once transport secretary, put it.
"If Russia wants to diversify from the oil and gas sector, the only way to create sustainable growth is to create real infrastructure — such as, for example, doing badly needed repairs to Russia's transport systems, including the dilapidated railway network, and spending on ports and the electricity grid".
The daughter of a government railway supervisor, Rigg spent her early childhood in India, returning to her native Yorkshire at age eight.
Mr Byers said: "I am particularly pleased we have been able to put this money into the railways without cutting spending on other areas".
