(Source AFP via Yahoo.com)

One hundred and forty years after a transcontinental railroad linked California to the world, trains are being hailed as integral to the state’s growth in the 21st century.

This time, state officials are preparing to spend billions of dollars on high-speed rail lines modeled in part on Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train and France’s sleek TGV systems.

Supporters say an 800-mile (1,200 kilometer) system of trains running at up to 220 mph (350 kph) will cost about half of the 100 billion dollars that otherwise would have to be spent on new highways and airport runways.

They say it will reduce environmental damage, lessen the state’s dependence on foreign oil, create 450,000 jobs and give a huge boost to California businesses. They envision a system, to be completed by 2030, that will carry 90 million passengers a year.

“We need a high-speed rail. Our rail system in America is so old, we are driving the same speed as we did 100 years ago,” said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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