High Speed Rail Gradually Develops, But Critics Remain Vocal

"Despite these promises from the government, high-speed rail comes with its share of opponents, who say it is too expensive and won't save energy. Some even question if it will ever be built.

'Even in a strong economy, building high-speed rail makes little sense, offering minimal reductions in travel times at exorbitant costs,' said Ronald Utt, who is the Herbert and Joyce Morgan senior research fellow for the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation."

But many say the system will be a source of new industrial jobs in the U.S., and that the investment will pay off over the long term.