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On Aug. 24, the applications for rail stimulus were due—and now the states that applied are waiting on the Federal Railroad Administration’s picks for approved projects. While the $13 billion in stimulus will not make the U.S. a train-commuting country overnight, and may, in fact, make some states unhappy (in July, 40 states preapplied, seeking $102 billion in aid for high-speed rail projects, nearly 10 times what is actually being doled out by the federal government), it is a start for high-speed rail. Here, we take a look at the five fastest trains in the world—inspirations in design and technology for the future of high speed in the U.S.