We live in a country that has been on the forefront of innovation for many years. So why are we now behind on an invention we championed such as the train? Countries like Japan, Germany and France have surpassed us with their high-speed rail. These rails could help lower major issues facing the country, help diversify job markets and finally increase innovation.

In the Southeast, there are quite a few major cities. These cities have great suburbs – but with those suburbs come high traffic congestion when entering into the city. If we created a high-speed rail we would be able to lessen that traffic because it would spread out the people and where people are coming from. This would also have a change in pollution since high-speed rails generally emit less carbon than cars on average. This would be a win not only for the people who don’t have to wait in long traffic lines, but also for the planet since the environment would be improved. This helps us create a better world we can give to our kids.

The United States is a very diverse country. It is full of all kinds of people who desire to live in all kinds of places but still want to work in bigger cities. These trains could help make places like Atlanta, Ga., closer to smaller cities. The average French high-speed rail goes around 186-199 mph, which would make the commute from Birmingham, Ala., to Atlanta, less than an hour. Better yet, the Japanese model can maintain speeds of 217 mph.

This would be huge for business markets, because not only are you diversifying sales markets, but also the workforce increases exponentially. You don’t have to worry about recruiting workers who want to move to your city; you can now recruit any worker who fits the bill. This will help corporations get highly qualified applicants. This also makes it possible to stay close enough to Tuscaloosa to go to games on Saturday while still working in Atlanta, Memphis, Tenn., New Orleans, La., or any other major southern city.

The final reason why these rails would be positive for the U.S. is because they would increase innovation. In order to stay competitive, the airlines would need to create new technology to continue to make flying the most feasible way to travel.

In addition, these rails would also spur on innovation in the car market, as carmakers would have to compete with the high-speed rail as well. The carmakers would be forced to create cars with more gas mileage, or at the very least help keep cars with bad mileage off the road for longer trips. The innovation would also come from us trying to create the best system possible, as we would see numerous new inventions for the trains.

I realize that there are many issues with high-speed rails, such as prices, funding, feasibility and of course imminent domain. My point is that the U.S. should begin the conversation. Americans should start considering the positives that could happen with high-speed rails. I am not saying we should pursue this endeavor tomorrow, but I do believe this is something we should explore and consider in the near future.

Regan Williams is a senior majoring in communication studies and political science.