North Carolina won just $4 million Monday out of the $624 million it recently requested in federal high-speed rail grants.

The Federal Railroad Administration said the state Department of Transportation will use the money to advance planning and finish environmental studies on a proposed new short-cut track from Raleigh to Richmond, for passenger trains that would run as fast as 110 mph.

The proposed 162-mile line would be 35 miles shorter than the current rail route between the two state capitals. With faster trains, it would cut two hours from travel times between Raleigh and Washington, D.C. An additional $2 billion or so would be needed to build the line, including more than 100 new bridges.