High-speed rail is a type of transportation that travels at significantly faster speeds than standard types of rail while using electricity, which is more sustainable than diesel-powered locomotives. High-speed rail is established in several nations around the world such as Korea, China, Japan, Spain, France, and Germany.

High-speed rail has a variety of benefits such as being efficient and affordable method. With prices cheaper than plane tickets and traveling at speeds over 200 miles, high-speed rail is a great alternative for flights, especially for in-state commutes or distances that are quite far to travel using a car. High-speed rail is also more environmentally friendly compared to other methods of transportation. Since it uses electricity, it is more sustainable, especially with more travelers. However, most electricity is made from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels. Also, high-speed rail can be expensive to build.

So far, the construction of the California bullet train project that would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco has been over budget and schedule. High-speed rail also isn’t ideal for all parts of the United States due to the spread-out population. Unlike dense cities in other countries such as Korea, China, and Japan, the U.S. has a significantly lower amount of densely populated urban centers.

Two proposed California bullet train projects would connect Los Angeles to San Fransisco and Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Both are very popular destinations for Southern California residents and not sitting in traffic on the 5 or the 15 freeway will be a welcome site for many drivers. On some major holiday weekends like Memorial Day, coming back on the 15 south from Las Vegas can take up to 10 hours. During normal traffic time, it should take only 4 hours. Having high-speed rail connect these cities will most likely alleviate traffic along these popular corridors.

In South Korea, a family can depart Seoul in the morning and arrive in Busan in a few hours. They can then spend the day walking along the famous Busan beaches and eating fresh seafood and then come back to Seoul by dinner time. Personally, it would be great to be able to depart Los Angeles in the morning and eat clam chowder with sourdough bread at San Fransico’s famous Fishman’s Wharf, view the Golden Gate bridge, and arrive home in time to enjoy the comforts of your own bed.

<Ellie Byun Santiago HS / 9th Grade>