Taxing Air Travel for Rail

They are doing it in England but its a rather small country where the rails are competitive, could it work here? Perhaps a carbon tax on flights shorter than 300 miles could produce enough money for high speed rail capital startups. The airlines might even be able to get tax breaks if they build their own high speed lines. Just a thought. The BBC reports:

The Liberal Democrats say they would put an extra £10 tax per ticket on internal flights in Britain to help fund improvements to the rail network. They are also proposing to put a toll on road freight, while encouraging private investment in railways. The party says it would generate £12bn in five years and be a temporary measure, without specifying how long. The proposals are part of a package aimed at making Britain's transport system carbon neutral by 2050.

A fund source for California HSR? Carbon tax for flights between SFO and LA or San Diego?