Why high-speed rail conquered the world everywhere except the U.S.

In the past decade, a dizzying diversity of countries have joined the bullet train community. What’s holding the U.S. back?

As advocates assess whether President-elect Trump will support high-speed rail, they have relatively few data points to go off of. Yes, there’s Project 2025, which calls for across-the-board cuts to transportation spending. And there’s the $900 million grant Trump yanked from California High-Speed Rail during his last term.