LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Friday that his state would build the first bullet train in the nation, a project that would provide a 10-billion-dollar economic boost to the state.

    "I think it is disgraceful for America to be so far behind when it comes to infrastructure," Schwarzenegger told a press conference.

    "In Europe and Asian countries, they're traveling now up to 300miles or 480 kilometers (per hour on bullet trains), while we're traveling on our trains at the same speed as 100 years ago. That is inexcusable. America must catch up," he said.

    The governor added that to build the 800-mile (1280-kilometer) fast-speed rail from San Diego to San Francisco, California had applied for 4.7 billion dollars in federal stimulus money.

    If built, the train can whisk people from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2 hours and 40 minutes, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and bring in revenue of billions of dollars.

    Schwarzenegger said California deserved to get more than half of the 8 billion dollars in federal stimulus money set aside for high-speed rail development because it was further along in planning than other states and is ready to break ground in 2011, a year before the federal deadline for getting the money.

    "Those stimulus dollars will go further in California than in any other state because California has pledged to match -- dollar for dollar -- all money received (from the federal government), " Schwarzenegger promised.

    In November, California voters approved issuing 9.95 billion dollars in bonds to fund construction of high-speed rail. More money would come from state, local and private matching funds.

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