"There is an E.U.-wide directive that requires rail to be deregulated and opened up to competition. If we had something similar here, instead of having government departments operate commuter rail service in say Virginia"
My impression is that in the US, the existing system basically gives priority to freight, and that passenger rail is poor because of that.
I have been on an Amtrak train that had to wait and wait for a (private) freight train, and of course people blame Amtrak and the government for the delay which is a little unfair.
But in the big picture, I think it's not intuitively obvious that prioritizing freight in the US is the wrong decision for the country. I mean, you could argue it, but maybe freight is the best use of rail given the overall lack of density of the country.
My impression is that in the US, the existing system basically gives priority to freight, and that passenger rail is poor because of that.
I have been on an Amtrak train that had to wait and wait for a (private) freight train, and of course people blame Amtrak and the government for the delay which is a little unfair.
But in the big picture, I think it's not intuitively obvious that prioritizing freight in the US is the wrong decision for the country. I mean, you could argue it, but maybe freight is the best use of rail given the overall lack of density of the country.