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All of the high speed railroads in the world, as far as I know, have been built with government (taxpayer) monies.  Private investors only invest in a project if it has a reasonable probability of generating a return.  The same applies to bond holders, who are lending money for the project and expect to get their money back with interest. Japan's general government debt was 137.31 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of January 2012. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it is expected to reach 153.95 per cent of GDP by January 2015. In January 2009 Japan's share of world GDP, adjusted for Producer Price Parity, was six per cent. It is projected to be 5.28 per cent in 2015. Japan will be challenged to raise the funds for a high-speed, magnetic levitation train.  Whether it can attract private investors is unknown. Rogoff and Reinhart noted in This Time is Different that once national debt reaches 90 per cent of GDP, it (GDP) declines by approximately one per cent. The Japanese numbers appear to support their argument. The U.S. is equally challenged.  Although its debt to GDP ratio is not as severe as that of the Japanese, it is getting there. Moreover, I don't see the capital markets putting up the money to fund a costly rail project in the United States.  Witness the California High Speed Rail Project. It has been unable to attract private investors, as far as I know.
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