“As railroads are privatized in the U.S., we have constantly moved towards heavier axle loads over the last four decades.”
Funny thing is, railways in the UK are also privately owned unlike many of their continental counterparts yet they are shoddy compared to them and back when British Rail was a government monopoly. I’d love to know why privatisation seems to work in the US yet has made things much worse in the UK.
Privatization doesn’t mean the government doesn’t impose regulations. There are probably more regulations than over here. And the smaller area serviced is likely a limiting factor.
I'm going to guess it has something to do with the relative power of railway unions.