LAS VEGAS -- Every weekend Las Vegans can look at I-15 and see the row of headlights slowly making their way into the city from southern California. Those traffic jams could be history if President Barack Obama gets his way.

Obama is calling for the country to move swiftly to a system of high-speed rail travel, saying it will relieve congestion, help clean the air and save on energy.

Appearing with Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, Obama said the country cannot afford not to invest in a major upgrade to rail travel. He said he understands it necessarily will be "a long-term project" but said the time to start is now.

Las Vegas has been mentioned as a possible target for a high-speed rail system that would link the city to southern California. Republicans, however, have mocked the idea publicly, saying the city doesn't need a "train to Disneyland."

Obama said that "this is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future. It's happening now. The problem is, it's happening elsewhere." He cited superior high-speed rail travel in countries like China, Japan, France and Spain.

Obama said the rail upgrades are critically needed because the nation's highways and airways "are clogged with traffic."