WORKING ON THE RAILROAD. Destination: Freedom sees the potential for transportation infrastructure investments as distinct from economic stimulus.

And waive all environmental review for rail projects on existing rail corridors – or give the Governors the power to do that --- so that intercity rail and commuter rail can be rebuilt NOW, along the rights-of-way that largely already exist. Talk about shovel-ready! The freight railroads that own these rights-of-way have had plans on the books for years for a second or third track, because the second and third tracks used to be right there along with the single track that’s left. The freight railroads of course haven’t had the money to build the capacity they need, and that will be absolutely required for any passenger rail system to work, because the return on that investment takes decades, and Wall Street wants quarter-to-quarter results. Only the government can do this kind of capacity-building, while also taking over the maintenance costs of those re-laid track miles, just as governments now maintain the roads and bridges – but with one hopes better skill.

The writers have too much faith in government, and their Obama blinders are obvious, and they haven't looked carefully at what the freight railroads have been doing to improve their plant. The latest issue of Trains reports that the big carriers have been taking advantage of the downturn in traffic to make improvements that are difficult under the traffic levels they've been dealing with.

That noted, there might be efficiency gains in government agencies providing additional capacity for commuter and corridor trains (and in some parts of the country, additional long-distance service) that provides additional freight train capacity. That's a matter of the right rules: that Union Pacific got away with clogging the third track between Geneva and Elburn for much of the first year of Metra service cannot be laid off entirely on the carrier's attitude toward passenger trains.