Russia invests in high-speed rail before their World Cup

In advance of their hosting the 2018 World Cup, Russia has announced bold plans to update it's rail between key cities.  Said Putin,

“[The tournament] will be a powerful incentive for the development of high speed rail services in the European part of Russia.”

He's promised a line that would connect all of the country’s host cities – Moscow, Kazan, Samara, and Ulyanovsk – by 2018.

Glance at a globe and you'll realize that this is no small feat . . . Even the "Eupopean part" of Russia, like the US, is quite a bit bigger than our quaint European examples of successful high-speed rail.  So while we rely on California and Florida to push us into this century, we'll be eating Russia's dust along with China's dust and that of the majority of developed nations.   It's not like we didn't try!  BILLIONS of dollars for rail projects have been rejected or returned to the federal gov't this YEAR!  I'm lookin at you Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois . . . .