Before we go too far down this road discussing why high speed rail hasn’t been implemented yet, let’s not call it dead or flawed please. See for instance How Flaws Undid Obama’s Hope for High-Speed Rail in Florida and this quote from Rep. John Mica, Republican Congressman from Florida: “With Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida rejecting funds, and the California project also looking troubled, I don’t think the Administration’s so-called high-speed and expanded passenger rail program could have had a worse launch.”
Let’s recap our new governors in each of these states:

• Ohio: Tea Party Republican John Kasich
• Wisconsin: Tea Party Republican Scott Walker
• Florida: Republican Rick Scott

Let’s recap our current political situation: Republicans don’t want to give Democrats – and President Obama – any positive victory.
I find it asinine that the three places Rep. Mica uses to illustrate the supposed failure of high speed rail, the plans were scrapped due to pure politics. All three projects were fully funded by the Federal government but the new governors needed to prove their worth to both the Tea Party and to deny the President a victory.
So it would behoove us to not forget the context, before we talk about failure.