This is so sad. Tokyo-Osaka, a bit shorter than SF-LA, is a 2.5 hr train ride. Beijing-Shanghai, twice as far as SF-LA, is a mere 4 hour train ride.
"Between 2030 and 2033, begin high-speed passenger service between Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield" [1]
[1] https://hsr.ca.gov/about/project-update-reports/2023-project...