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The problem is that unlike most other nations around the
world, our rail infrastructure is centered around moving
freight, not people. As such, the lines are focused on
heavy rolling stock moving at moderate average speeds
while our highways are centered around moving
moderate traffic at high (comparative) speeds. What's
happened is that cars became capable of outrunning
trains between cities up to 300 miles apart and planes
can outrun trains at longer distances. However, our
interstate highway system--which cost untold billions in
today's dollars, weren't designed or built for the numbers
of vehicles on the roads today.

Those billions of dollars could have been spent building
government-owned rail systems that would have been
just as efficient as those others in Europe and Asia. Now
we need to not only maintain the highway system, but we
need to reduce the number of cars on those highways by
building an efficient passenger rail system that
doesn't rely on using revenue freight lines. Those
freight lines all see passenger rail as interfering with their
own operating schedules and honestly, when a passenger
train can run two-, three- or even six times faster than
freight, you can see where they wouldn't like having to
stop so many of their trains every time an intercity
passenger train wants to come through. Rail efficiency for
freight comes from keeping the trains moving, not having
to stop and start every few miles. So literally, passenger
rail needs its own, private right of way. This will
cost money.

Amtrak currently says that the NEC upgrades could show
hundreds of millions of dollars in profits within 30 years.
This may seem like a long time to you, but try to envision
what your commute--your vacation travels--were like 30
years ago and compare them to today. If we don't spend
the money now, it will cost many times more that 30
years from now. Personally, I'd rather be making a profit
rather than just starting the project by then.

Not only could passenger rail make a profit, but by taking
those millions of cars off the road, the people who aren't
directly serviced by the trains will see reduced traffic,
meaning the trains are indirectly servicing those drivers
and reducing their operating costs as well.