Harry Frogfish
Footballguy
I’m not asking anything. It’s just a popular campaign platform to want to build up our infrastructure (As we should). Unfortunately we seem to fall woefully short as our roads and bridges decay.Let me preface by saying I have no idea if what I'm about to type is true or not BUT:I see an Amtrak crew working on the tracks quite often. I get your point though. It’s low hanging fruit for presidential candidates to talk about the crumbling infrastructure, easy to get funding. Problem is too much pork is added in, and little gets accomplished.
You mentioned Amtrak. What does Amtrak haul? Mostly people. Is Amtrak heavily subsidized by the government? Do they use the same tracks as these hazardous loads are using? I'm speculating that people trains go where people want to go, nice country sides, big cities, sight seeing, etc. Probably (again, I'm speculating) not the same places you would see a train like the one that derailed in East Palestine![]()
What are you asking here? Amtrak tracks get a higher level of maintenance than others, if that's the question. They also only ride on a small portion of the rail network, and a tiny amount is dedicated solely to Amtrak.
Most of the arguments about this indicate that the true need to solve the issues in the current system is double tracking with turn outs every X so many miles or so. To do this would take something about the size of Vermont out of the hands of private citizens and would cost trillions just in the real estate transactions. The time horizon is so long that it is not clear that the ports that connect these rails up will literally exist anymore with sea level rise. I tend to agree that the rail networks are in the top 10 of required improvements, but the scope may be much larger than anyone can fathom requiring high speed passenger rail to more or less replace domestic air, and passenger car travel.
Is this finally acknowledged, and now kind of swept under the (soaked) rug and whatnot? Or is it still "ride or die" debatable in some corners?
Just curious. Asking for a friend(s).