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N700 Bullet Train Debuts in Japan, July 1, 2007 (Photograph by Ren Zhenglai/Xinhua/WPN)

Apparently the stimulus may make high-speed trains in California a reality, and this is great news. America badly needs an updgrade in its rail system. It’s a national shame that Japan, China, and Europe have high-speed rail but we do not. The N700 bullet train in Japan is pretty amazing, and when you read about it you just have to shake your head in wonder at the fact that don’t have one of these here in the US.

Here are the corridors that have been proposed at the Department of Transportation for high-speed rail:

Dept. of Transportation Designated High-Speed Rail Corridors, January 2002

Unfortunately, this is a very expensive undertaking and it’s unlikely that even the $8 billion will be enough to make it possible in more places than California. In fact, it’s questionable as to whether high-speed rail will really happen in California since that $8 billion will be spread out among competing parts of the country.

High-speed rail obviously has many benefits, including lessening our dependence on foreign oil and protecting the environment. There would be an obvious economic benefit in job creation that the construction of a high-speed rail network would entail. But there’s also a lot of symbolism in undertaking this project. When John F. Kennedy decided to put a man on the moon, his critics thought that he was crazy for spending so much money on a project that didn’t have any clear economic benefit. But President Kennedy knew that the innovations that were involved in the project would boost America’s leadership role in science and technology, giving us an edge over the Soviet Union. It gave rise to many more young people studying science and engineering and it provided the country with a sense of confidence and optimism. In the same way, green cars and high-speed trains are two innovations that could leave President Obama with a legacy of bringing the United States into the 21st century.