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On Wednesday, California Gov. Jerry Brown stated his support for moving forward with the state’s high-speed rail project, despite criticism over its potential cost.

“I would like to be part of the group that gets America to think big again,” Brown said in a prepared statement issued by the U.S. High Speed Rail Association.

California’s HSR project is considered the most ambitious in the United States. When completed, it will span 800 miles, connecting Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

“We applaud Gov. Brown for his support for this visionary new rail system that will revolutionize how Californians move about the state,” said U.S. High Speed Rail Association President Andy Kunz. “We look forward to working with Gov. Brown to build additional support in the state and across America, and in helping to bring private investors and public-private partnerships [to the project].”

The project will require a combination of funding sources, including federal, state and private capital sources.

“There is a lot of private interest out there to be involved in this large project,” Kunz said. “There’s also tremendous public support for this project as evidenced by the public vote in 2008 in favor of the project.”