The Pilgrims nearly died off during their first winter in the Plymouth colony because they practiced socialism when it came to food production. Everyone was supposed to give their best effort and collect their minimum needs when it came to growing and hunting. Instead they got minimal work from many along with maximum demands. The rules were changed and the colony eventually prospered.
In the industrial age the same thing has happened in Europe but instead of direct physical labor to produce food you are talking indirect labor (industrial production).
To hide the failure, the European elites have defaulted to their feudal roots - a layered society of wealthy classes, working classes tied to cities, and poor farmers tied to the land.
The last time this approach was openly attempted was 1939-1944. It produced a horrific body count. I wonder what the body count will be this time.
IMHO they should take a very close look at Boston's Big Dig road project.
Conceived in the 1970s, Federally funded in 1988, ground broken in 1991, bogged down in internal Boston politics, it was opened in sections starting in 1995 and ending in 2007.
Costs?
Initial estimates (1990) were $ 5.8 Billion. Final costs re still being determined; the 2009 estimate was $ 15 billion plus interest payments. That brings the total to almost $ 22 billion and growing. All of this for 4 miles of relocated interstate, a tunnel, a bridge, and a green way. That's 5.5 billion dollars per mile - roughly a million dollars per foot.
Granted it was in a heavily populated area. But, all of the sub projects used proven technology. Do you really think that several hundred miles of railroad using previously unused technology can be done for less on the per mile bases?