(Source: Boston Globe, November 29, 2015)
BOSTON — The United States’ freight rail network is the finest and safest in the world, crisscrossing North America to connect the largest ports up and down the East and West coasts, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. All at an unbeatable cost to taxpayers — nothing. The railroads own, maintain, and pay taxes on their infrastructure.
This system, the envy of the world, moves everything from coal to corn to cars at incredible speeds and carries invaluable benefits to both commerce and the environment for the nation. It does, however, come at one striking cost to the public — the quality of passenger rail. For all of our prowess at transporting goods, America has fallen dramatically behind in moving people. But that trade-off could well be worth it.
Full story: Boston Globe