It seems that the last two years involved multiple collisions and accidents concerning rail transport and travel in the United States, including one collision which caused minor injury and discomfort to Republican politicians heading to a retreat.
The most recent collision involved two freight trains which derailed in Georgetown, Kentucky. The collision injured four people, and the also ignited a fire that required nearby residents to evacuate. The collision occurred almost at midnight, and it was so worrisome that the Scott County Public School system opened its schools for emergency shelter use and even mobilized their fleet of buses to pick people up from nearby neighborhoods. This is not the first time train collisions have caused injury, or even
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However, businesses that make their fortunes using government-sponsored rail lines seem to be disinterested in paying for the lines they use.
Perhaps the best way to cut down on accidents on rail lines is to treat them as a private utility. Local governments and businesses could come together to decide whether it’s worth spending corporate money to have a rail line or not, and average taxpayers could stop funding an outdated mode of transportation.
At this point, investment in rail is just a bad investment. As trucks become more reliable, safer, and self-driving, trains will continue to be a less sensible investment, but governments still pour billions into rail lines that barely see use.
Amtrak brags that they served more than 31 million riders last year. In the same time period, planes served 631 MILLION riders domestically, getting them to their destinations quicker, more safely, and in a more cost-effective manner.
Perhaps it’s time the United States government stop funding this bad investment. Large businesses will fund it if they find it