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(The following editorial appeared on the Democrat and Chronicle website on February 28.)

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Recently, Gov. Spitzer spoke eloquently about the federal government’s responsibility to help states such as New York pay for transportation. He invoked President Eisenhower’s support of the interstate highway system in the 1950s.

The governor was right. Creating a transportation network requires the support and resources of government as well as private enterprise.

But more than a little vision is required, too. And that is lacking.

Amtrak’s finances have been crippled for years. States wanting to develop better rail on their own don’t have the fiscal capacity to move at anything but a snail’s pace. Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has a task force looking primarily at the corridor between Albany and New York City. Spitzer wants to invest in Amtrak improvements upstate. But they’re not working together, and without that, nothing much will get done.

What’s needed is for Congress and states with regions in economic crisis — such as upstate — to develop jointly an accelerated rail plan. High-speed rail must become a national priority, with an initial focus on regions with high economic need.

What’s the big deal? Add up how much you spend on gasoline a week, and you might become a believer in a rail system that supports commuters, encourages tourism and provides the sort of transportation links that prospective businesses want.

Europe has invested in high-speed rail; more than 3,000 miles are expected by 2020. Canada is talking about spending upward of $20 billion to link major cities.

Where’s America? Far behind. President Bush’s proposed 2009 budget cuts Amtrak funding by 40 percent. Locally, efforts to build an Amtrak station in Lyons, led by Sen. Mike Nozzolio, lags, in part because the freight line CSX has not been a willing partner on track use.

Better rail will mean a better, more appealing upstate. Getting there will take a historic public-private partnership.