Rail:
Inter-city rail travel is provided by Amtrak California; the three routes, the Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquin, are funded by Caltrans. These services are the busiest intercity rail lines in the United States outside the Northeast Corridor and ridership is continuing to set records. The routes are becoming increasingly popular over flying, especially on the LAX-SFO route. Integrated subway and light rail networks are found in Los Angeles (Metro Rail) and San Francisco (MUNI Metro). Light rail systems are also found in San Jose (VTA), San Diego (San Diego Trolley), Sacramento (RT Light Rail), and Northern San Diego County (Sprinter). Furthermore, commuter rail networks serve the San Francisco Bay Area (ACE, BART, Caltrain, SMART), Greater Los Angeles (Metrolink), and San Diego County (Coaster).
The California High-Speed Rail Authority was created in 1996 by the state to implement an extensive 800-mile rail system. Construction was approved by the voters during the November 2008 general election, with the first phase of construction estimated to cost $64.2 billion.
State Flag:
The California state flag was covered in detail in an earlier post.
Please refer here for details.
State Nickname:
California designated “The Golden State” as the official state nickname in 1968.
Between California’s explosive growth following the discovery of gold in 1848, the fields of golden poppies that appear each spring throughout the state, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the clear, golden coastal sunsets over the Pacific – California truly is the golden state! Gold is also one of California’s official state colors and the state mineral.
