The main reason is that what helps the state doesn't necessarily help every county equally. To have high speed rail, you have to have trains that don't stop eve

The main reason is that what helps the state doesn't necessarily help every county equally. To have high speed rail, you have to have trains that don't stop everywhere. High-speed rail from SF to LA might be good for California, but politicians elected by Fresno and Bakersfield will want it to stop in Fresno and Bakersfield. Which makes it more useful for those people, but less useful as a whole.