Highway projects would get $30 billion, transit would receive $12 billion and environmental infrastructure programs would get $14 billion under an $85 billion infrastructure stimulus blueprint drafted by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar.

The Minnesota Democrat estimates that his plan would create or sustain more than 2.4 million jobs and generate $429 billion in economic activity. The spending package, with most of the money coming from the general treasury, would be part of a larger economic stimulus bill that congressional leaders hope to send to the new president's desk next month.

Among the big winners in the plan would be Amtrak, which would receive $1.5 billion -- the equivalent, in the recent past, of an entire year's worth of funding.

The passenger rail company, still celebrating the passage of a reauthorization bill last year (PL 110-432) with substantial funding increases, would have to spend its money on capital improvements. An additional $3.4 billion would be distributed to states for high-speed rail, intercity passenger rail, short-line rail and regional rail.

"It means we could have a tremendous impact to bring the railroad to a state of good repair, which would have a great impact on our operational reliability," Cliff Black, Amtrak's spokesperson, said.

The Federal Highway Administration would receive $30 billion, to be distributed to states using the formula established by the most recent highway law (PL 109-059). States would submit to federal officials lists of projects they intend to fund with the additional money.