Competing High Speed Rail Projects

The long-planned, $25-billion, 700-mile, state high-speed rail line that could get passengers from downtown Los Angeles to downtown San Francisco in 2.5 hours is recognized by many business leaders and politicians as a huge boon to the economy. Developed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the plan faces a huge price tag and legal and environmental hurdles, however. Meanwhile, a local $4 billion, 70-mile magnetic levitation (maglev) route between LA, San Gabriel, Ontario, and Riverside, is the brainchild of the Southern California Association of Governments. The local rail plan, which would be a federal demonstration project and the world's first maglev passenger train, is garnering support at the expense of the state proposal.

Thanks to Chris Steins