From the 1800s through the early 1900s, trains were the favored way to travel. But with the invention of automobiles and airplanes, trains became a thing of the past — at least in the United States. Unlike the U.S., Europe and Asia continued to improve their railways. Recently, one of Japan’s newest bullet trains reached a speed of 366 miles per hour. That’s really fast!

Amazing, right? We think so and so do the people of California. In 2008, the people of California voted for a high speed rail system. Nearly eight years and many obstacles such as budget issues (the project cost is expected to double to $43 billion!), lawsuits filed by angry landowners, and changes in the rail system itself later, the project is finally moving forward.