Here's why:
1. We need jobs - now and for the rest of this decade! Building a hi-speed railway system infrastructure will produce thousands of jobs (distributed throughout the states), and in a variety of disciplines, from construction to engineering to research.
2. We need a modern transportation system. Europe and Japan have had more than a decade of hi-speed rail.
3. Hi-speed rail is a clean and sustainable transportation system: much less carbon than other modes of transportation.
4. Hi-speed rail is competitive with air travel up to a distance of at least 1000 miles; and it is less stressful, and takes you from city center to city center.
5. According to the National Association of Railroad Passengers, passenger rail is about 11 times safer than automobile travel.