The document discusses the development of high-speed railways in the US, particularly in California and Texas, highlighting legal progress and community engagement for projects like the LA to San Francisco line. Texas has plans for a major railway connecting Dallas to Houston, while the Northeast is upgrading Amtrak's services to compete with the privately funded Northeast Maglev project, which promises faster travel times. Overall, the US is aiming to enhance its railway infrastructure to match global standards, particularly in heavily congested areas.

1. I remember the one time I was on the railways in Dallas with my
grandmother.

2. I remember wondering if the railways go any faster in other parts
of the world.

3. It turns out that they do, and the U.S. may need to catch up with
other countries such as Japan.

4. With several bullet train projects in California, the Northeast, and
Texas, the US is testing the high speed railway market.

5. Legal victories in California are finally allowing construction to
begin on an LA to San Francisco high speed railway.

6. A state ravaged by six of the top fifty most congested cities in the
Western Hemisphere is one of the most reasonable locations to
start a trial of high speed railways in the US.

7. Texas, not far behind California, has five cities in the top fifty most
congested cities in the Western Hemisphere, and not all too
surprisingly has plans for one of the longest high-speed railway
systems in the US.

8. As the second largest state by area and the second most populous
state, Texas has both the space and population necessary to
support a high-speed railway system.

9. The railway is to be privately funded, and has started holding public
meetings to get community feedback, while also compiling
information on the environmental impact for federal review of the
project.

10. The high-speed railway planned for Texas stretches from Dallas
down to Houston, traveling through eleven different counties.

11. So far two routes have been proposed, and several locations have
been planned out for both cities.

12. Meanwhile, in the Northeast, Amtrak has a $151 billion upgrade
planned for its introduction into the high speed railway business.

13. The upgrade is for the Washington-Boston section of their track,
and would cut down the commute to forty five minutes instead of
the current two hours and thirty minutes.

14. However, they are not the only company on the block any more.

15. Northeast Maglev, a privately funded company backed by the
Japanese government, has its sights on a New York-Washington
line that would cut the time from almost three hours down to an
hour.

16. Despite the performance benefits of Maglev technology over other
high speed railway systems, Amtrak has an extensive pre-existing
system already established in the region, and holds a fairly
substantial lead in regards to public opinion over the privately
owned and foreign backed Northeast Maglev.