Next fall the final phase of Britian's first high speed rail line will open for service, completing the line between Central London and the Channel Tunnel. Christened "High Speed 1", the line will carry both international Eurostar trains to Brussels and Paris and regional commuter trains.
While France had a line from Paris to the Channel Tunnel ready to go the day the Chunnel opened, it took England over a decade to forge their high speed connection. The problem was political support. The French line also carries trains to Brussels and northern France, making it useful to more than just travelers going to England. In England, the initial reaction to construction of a new high speed line was that it would only serve international travelers.
Politically, the decision was made to call for a high speed line that would also serve high speed regional commuter trains. This move built support for the line's construction. Three intermediate stations will serve local trips, and a new generation of high speed commuter trains will traverse the line and then fan out to a myriad of destinations in southeast England.
California can reap the same benefits. The entire English high speed line is no longer than about the distance from about San Jose to Tracy. Imagine the benefits of taking the current ACE commute service and making it three times faster.
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