About California's High Speed Rail Plan
The groundwork is being laid in California for a revolution. Originally proposed as a proposition to the people of California, the high speed rail network along the length of the state is on its way to becoming a reality. While the project is still mainly in the planning stages, a great deal of progress has already been made.
The project is one that is decidedly ambitious, with the initial plan being for a line stretching down from San Francisco all the way to San Diego. The speeds proposed are fairly incredible, with official sources saying that the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles will be less than two hours and forty minutes long - a huge change from the current rail trips, which take six hours or so, and only a little more time than a trip by plane would take. The route will include up to 24 stations and stretch over 800 miles of track.
The train is designed to give back to California, both in terms of its environment and in terms of its economy. Environmentally, the thought is that by running a single train, powered by hopefully mostly green sources, that is filled with people, the roads will be less clogged. This means both less pollution and less traffic congestion. In terms of the economy, many job positions are being created by the project, with many people needed to help coordinate and build the rail network. In addition, greater ease of travel means that people will be able to find jobs in more distant locations.
Furthermore, those running the project are making sure to take community concerns into consideration, opening their website for suggestions on the project and having regular discussions with local authorities. The goal is to make sure the rail project is as beneficial and as nonintrusive as possible, and the project leaders are making sure that the rail is quiet and well-placed. Ideally it will simply blend into the existing California landscape, ruining nothing and adding an important element to life.
While there's still much to do before the high-speed rail becomes a reality, there's a great deal of progress already. Soon it may be plausible to live in Los Angeles and commute to San Francisco, and at the very least the ease of visiting other cities will become much greater. Hopefully soon the gleaming railway will be in place and the high-speed future of California will begin!