A similar comparison is available closer to home. The Brightline people are doing actual HSR from LA to Vegas. However, they're doing a lower level of HSR, that might touch 300 kph or even 200 mph at some point along the line, but mostly runs slower. Because it's fast enough. It's for carrying passengers and (they hope) making money. And it's actually a slightly simplified and slowed-down version of Desert Xpress, which planned to build a few significant tunnels that Brightline figures won't be necessary if speed expectations are appropriately adjusted.

CAHSR was a political animal pretty much from day one. It was California's entry in a global dick-measuring contest for who has the fanciest and fastest HSR, and it was converted early from a transportation system to something to compete with air travel between LA and SF (and organized so consultants would get most of the money). CA may have a big economy, but it's not big enough considering all of the other bills to compete in the HSR game with the really big ones. Sorry, we're not China. Something a little less exotic would have been less attractive to voters, probably, because it wouldn't compete with Southwest on the SF-LA run. At least not directly. But it won't, anyway. So ... the middle part is looking like it'll be built, but we might have to wait a couple of decades to see much progress elsewhere. Oh well. Chances are, the future extensions of the middle part will not be actual 225 mph railroads, if they happen.