Ten other countries have successful high-speed rail systems — France, Great Britain, Japan, Russia and even Finland — and yet high-speed rail is still foreign to the U.S. Now, the country's most populous state is hoping to take the lead. In California, a 220-mph train could zip from San Francisco to Los Angeles in about two-and-a-half hours. But first voters must decide if they want to approve a $10 billion bond for the project.
