President Obama is calling for the country to move swiftly to a system of high-speed rail travel, saying it will relieve congestion, help clean the air, and save on energy. "This is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future. It's happening now," he said today in Washington. "The problem is, it's happening elsewhere"—in Asia and Europe
Appearing with Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Obama said the country cannot afford not to invest in a major upgrade of the existing rail system. He said he understands it necessarily will be "a long-term project" but said the time to start is now.
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