High Speed Railroad

The California High-Speed Rail Authority just received environmental approval to connect downtown Los Angeles to the Bay Area with a bullet train capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, KTLA5 reported.

KTLA5 called the approval "a historic milestone in a state notorious for holding up construction projects for environmental review."

The California High-Speed Rail system is an ambitious project that has technically been in the works for decades, but it has progressed in fits and starts. Recently, however, construction began on several parts of the system. The initial segment, connecting Merced to Bakersfield in the Central Valley, could be open as soon as 2030, with much more to follow, KTLA5 reports.

High-speed trains can sometimes get you from point A to point B faster than planes when you factor in the time it takes to move through an airport, with security and boarding. They also produce less noise pollution, lessening their negative impact on surrounding communities. And they are, of course, much cheaper for consumers.          READ MORE...

China's New High-Speed Sleeper Train

Hong Kong (CNN) —Interested in capping off your trip to Hong Kong with a long weekend in Beijing or Shanghai? A new high-speed sleeper train service is making that possibility easier than ever.

Two new overnight routes connecting the city with Beijing and Shanghai entered into service on June 15.

Both trains depart Hong Kong West Kowloon Station in the evening and arrive in Beijing at 6.53 a.m. and Shanghai at 6.45 a.m., making the journeys around 12.5 hours and 11 hours respectively. Return trips depart from Beijing and Shanghai at around 8 p.m. and arrive in Hong Kong at 8.47 a.m. and 7.29 a.m. These routes run four days a week, departing all three stations every evening from Friday to Monday.     READ MORE...