Interesting numbers:  (U.S. lagging when it comes to transportation investment, report says)

"For example, Japan currently operates 1,250 miles of high-speed rail and will build about 185 miles more by 2020, and China is planning to build more than 1,500 miles of high-speed rail by 2020. In comparison, the U.S. operates about 185 miles of high-speed rail and currently is not building any more. Also, as of 2000, there were more than 750 cars per 1,00 people in the United States; 500 cars per 1,000 people in the United Kingdom; and less than 50 cars per 1,000 people in China."

I understand the US, to have the same functional high speed system, should have much greater density more comparable to Europe.  Economically it just makes sense.  The North East, California, and maybe the north west should however start serious consideration of building high speed rail.  The simple fact is, to link our major cities would be excessively expensive and the nation does NOT have the money to whimsically do that.

Another interesting tidbit of idealism here is that with current investment models, we'll NEVER have enough cash flow to truly build up our transportation infrastructure until we remove such intense Government manipulation of passenger service industry within the United States.  Our economic model, our investment methods, and our density levels will not allow the Government to effectively build out real transportation infrastructure.  The interstates are already coming to a point of rebuild but the federal government no longer has the funds, the ability, or the tax base or war earnings to spend in rebuilding the system.  At the current rate the only real solution is to fix the broken model of transportation funding and create a model that will once again interest and draw private business and investors back into the fold.

The only transportation industry that is actually expanding infrastructure is the freight industry, with Government subsidy and taxation this stresses that industry immensely.  Leaving nothing in a true economic expansion mode.

Thus, the US is truly lagging the rest of the world at this point.