Freight rail investment could free passenger congestion

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Thursday, March 04, 2010 | Jon Schmitz

[Willie Green]

On rail lines, freight trains have priority over passenger service, which frequently causes delays for Amtrak customers.

Freight also appears to have the upper hand when it comes to money for improving service and infrastructure. Recent federal grant awards to Western Pennsylvania have included $35 million for improvements for cargo-hauling trains and just $750,000 for those that move people.

But people stand to benefit from the freight investment because it will mean fewer trucks on congested highways, less pollution and lower road maintenance costs, railroad officials told a state House committee on Wednesday.

~~~SNIP~~~

The money will be used to clear obstacles that prevent heavier and taller "double-stack" freight trains from using the corridor. Those projects including lowering tracks, raising bridges and carving more height clearance into tunnels.

By 2020, highways in the state will be severely over their capacity, while expansion of the Panama Canal, scheduled for completion in 2014, will boost cargo hauling to and from the East Coast, said Randy Cheetham, regional vice president for CSX Corp

[cripplecreek]

If its such a damned fine business decision why should we be forced to pay for it? The government shough just finish taking over business and be done with it.

[Alberta's Child]

The rationale for government funding -- especially Federal government funding -- of these projects is that the costs are far more than the railroads will pay on their own and the benefits are spread across a geographic area that covers multiple states.

It's not much different than the rationale for having the U.S. government pay for the cost of laying rails all over the country, or building the interstate highway system.