Back in 2008, I voted for Prop 1A in California’s ballot. It was for building a high speed rail in California.  The proposition would authorizing $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for building a high speed rail project. 

The years went by and I have not heard anything more of it.  But now it was recently reported that California will receive $2.25 billion in federal economic stimulus funds to develop a high-speed rail line.

The high speed train will run from Anaheim to San Francisco. The projected cost is about $42 billion and trains would be traveling with speeds up to 450 miles in no more than 2 hours, 40 minutes. Other extensions to San Diego and Sacramento are planned.

This is what the train will look like.  I wish the color combination was different.  Maybe silver and white.  Photo from Wired magazine.

There will also be 13 other rail corridors planned which includes a Midwest line from Chicago to St. Louis. And also one in Florida running from Tampa to Orlando. What I want is a rail train that runs from Miami to Washington, D.C. I think high speed rail would be great for commuters and other travelers too.

I can imagine this would make traveling much easier for many people. Especially for the tourist who want to visit California. Imagine visiting the beaches of San Diego in the morning and then crossing the Golden Gate by evening. The only thing I have to get used to is not being able to see the beautiful scenery California has to offer. From the valley and farmlands to the coastal view.  And at this fast speed, it’ll would seem like life is just passing by in an instant.

Construction would start in 2011 and be completed in 10 years, so that would be in 2020. Hopefully this method of traveling will offset pollution by cars, trucks and airplanes.

Also in 2020, China is planning to extend its high-speed network all the way to London. The rail line will fly through 17 countries at speeds reaching 200 miles per hour. China will be building the infrastructure in exchange for rights to natural resources of countries that benefit from the high speed links. It’s China’s key to a global economy.

This seems like a great way to travel too. But giving up your natural resources in exchange for high speed rail? I’m not sure how many countries will sign up for that idea. But who knows, China can be pretty persuasive.

Despite the controversy over California’s high speed rail, whether it would be finish in 2020 or 2030 - I am looking forward to some progress. As other countries have been using high speed rail for decades now and yet we in the U.S. have not even come close to building one. Japan’s popular bullet train is very interesting and efficient. Germany, France, and of course China all have their own high speed rail too.

Retrospective of the Shinkansen Bullet Trains in Japan - Youtube