That’s just an argument that we need to find rail sufficiently for Amtrak to own its rails. Freight is never in the way on the NEC.
It’s also an indictment for lack of regulation. Freight rail has been milking ancient infrastructure far beyond its useful life and without updating to new requirements.
Among their shortcuts that directly cause delays for both trains and cars are
failure to maintain tracks to keep the speed they were designed for
pulling up second rail for cheaper maintenance
continuing to run ever larger trains without enlarging the sidings that are supposed to let them get out of the way
I don’t disagree, was looking for the youtube video talking about the privatization of the most profitable routes, which means those revenues couldn’t be applied to laggard routes but can’t come up with it.
That’s from a couple years ago, and there was a recent one connected with that proposal. I know what you mean.
While I somewhat agree with the desire to facilitate this private passenger rail service, it seems like a really bad idea here and now. Maybe if we had healthy infrastructure and widely adopted service, that could take us to the next level, but passenger rail in the us is such a basket case that it would not serve anyone’s needs.
no matter what, we have a century of deferred maintenance to catch up on. No private company could afford that and we shouldn’t spend that kind of money just so someone can extract profit
no matter what, outside the NEC, intercity passenger service is horrible: it’s a welfare case now, is not in a useful state, and we shouldn’t be paying that kind of money just so someone can extract profit
highways are supported by public funding: intercity passenger rail deserves similar. We need options where either s better than the other
While part of me wishes we could keep NEC profit to invest in all the improvements we need here, I generally think it’s a good investment to try to develop other locations. Transportation infrastructure is a public good to improve our society and our economy (and the network effect is a big deal), but taking some of our NEC profit to pay for some billionaires profit is very much NOT a public good
That’s just an argument that we need to find rail sufficiently for Amtrak to own its rails. Freight is never in the way on the NEC.
It’s also an indictment for lack of regulation. Freight rail has been milking ancient infrastructure far beyond its useful life and without updating to new requirements.
Among their shortcuts that directly cause delays for both trains and cars are
I don’t disagree, was looking for the youtube video talking about the privatization of the most profitable routes, which means those revenues couldn’t be applied to laggard routes but can’t come up with it.
edit: believe its this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmpyV4Yf8b0
That’s from a couple years ago, and there was a recent one connected with that proposal. I know what you mean.
While I somewhat agree with the desire to facilitate this private passenger rail service, it seems like a really bad idea here and now. Maybe if we had healthy infrastructure and widely adopted service, that could take us to the next level, but passenger rail in the us is such a basket case that it would not serve anyone’s needs.
While part of me wishes we could keep NEC profit to invest in all the improvements we need here, I generally think it’s a good investment to try to develop other locations. Transportation infrastructure is a public good to improve our society and our economy (and the network effect is a big deal), but taking some of our NEC profit to pay for some billionaires profit is very much NOT a public good
Yeah we need a west coast corridor and to build out one around Chicago