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This is a great visual look at how far ahead of us France is on high speed rail. On top you can see a map of France TGV (train à grande vitesse - literally “very fast train”) system. Below is a representation of the United State’s standard (not high speed) rail system. 

Only in the Northeast Corridor (which runs down the Atlantic coast from Boston to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington) does the United states have a density of rail service that matches anything in Europe. 

All images, including the one below of the Northeast Corridor, can be found on the website of graphic designer Cameron Booth.