Aerial photo captures visual proof of massive US high-speed rail project construction underway: 'It was very cool to see'

High-speed rail is supposed to be coming to California, and an image recently shared to social media indicates that the promising initiative isn't just a pipe dream.  

In the subreddit r/trains, a Redditor posted a screenshot of a Google Earth map in which the high-speed rail row was visible.

"So I just heard that close to 100% of the ROW between Merced and Bakersfield has been secured, and contracts for the trains might be signed this year. Anyone else getting excited?" the original poster wrote.  

Other Redditors confirmed that progress is indeed being made on the new railway. 

"I flew over it on my way to Oakland a little bit ago, and it was very cool to see," one person wrote. 

"There's over 22 miles of [track] in Kern County that is pretty much complete. Just pending rail and electric poles. But a bunch of large bridges are complete," someone else offered. 

High-speed rail is popular in many other parts of the world, with China now having the most miles of lines in operation after rapidly developing its infrastructure similar to Japan's Shinkansen system, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.    

In addition to being safe and convenient, the rapid mode of transportation is better for the environment and our overall air quality. 

Trains are already one of the least polluting ways to get around, but high-speed iterations run on electricity rather than diesel fuel, further reducing the amount of dirty energy being burned.

As outlined by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the state has been hoping to develop this type of rail system since the 1980s. 

While progress has been slow, the project has gained significant traction in recent years, including thanks to an infusion of federal funding in December. 

One Redditor indicated that a realization of the railway may be even closer than the OP's picture suggests, while others celebrated the progress.

"Those images are from May 2023. It'll look even more finished now," one person said.

"Way to go California!" another wrote. 

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