The Infrastructurist points out that China has completed a bullet train route linking Beijing and Shanghai.  This new train line will make a trip between the two cities clock a total of four hours, as opposed to the 10 that conventional rail required.

The 800 miles of track laid for the line is roughly the equivalent, distance-wise, of New York City to Chicago.  So, just imagine a train ride from Yankee Stadium to Wrigley Field in four hours.  Seems unthinkable, huh?

According to the BBC points out, China had no high-speed rail track five years ago. But they have 4,000 miles of bullet train lines-- the world’s most extensive.

So what exactly is China doing right that the U.S. isn't doing in order to have bullet train service?

• China has a national manufacturing strategy-- they understand the importance of "building things."
• Their economy is built on exporting.  And as they manufacture and export so successfully, they're able to build up their innovation.
• They massively subsidize their steel production and can easily produce vast the vast quantities of steel needed to build a bullet train line.
• They dump product and utilize currency manipulation to help boost their domestic industry.

Until the U.S. makes a concerted effort to revitalize our own industrial base, we'll lack the resources to build our own hi-speed rail. 

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