((((I imagine quite a few "red states" aren't included in His Eminence's plans.)))))

Really? what about North Carolina? Tenn. needs high speed rail, but, the wrong route is being promoted.
First of all Texas didn't get Houston to Dallas, why?
It would cut into the airlines.
Second look at Penn. Thier route runs EAST-WEST, just like their state, Humm look at the map.
Why isn't a route from North Carolina into KNOXVILLE and Oak Ridge, Powered by the TVA even on the drawing board? Of course such a route would be eventually run to Nashville and Mempis, serving more people.

Why not connect U of T, Oak RIDGE and the tech areas of North Carolina?