It has been my thought all along that there is absolutely NO way that passenger-rail service in this country can succeed without the full and complete cooperation and thus "blessing" of the major freight-rail companies. Does anyone else agree with me ? I sometimes wonder.

Why the freight-rail companies refuse to permit even additional "standard" passenger-rail service on their lines. How on earth are we to expect them to "embrace" high-speed rail service ? Am I missing something ?? Are SEPARATE tracks to be built on these corridors to accomodate the high-speed service ? Are the corridors to be electrified ?

Presently, negotiations are completely stalled (between Amtrak and Norfolk Southern) related to the initiation of the Skyline service between Philly and Chicago. Norfolk Southern simply REFUSES to permit another passenger train on their rails. Evidently the company is "holding-out" for BIG dollars---which Amtrak (evidently) is unwilling to offer. One conductor told me the service would NEVER initiate at all ---and everyone is excited about the possibilitiy of all these high-speed corridors !!! One of the "proposed" runs between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. This is Norfolk Southern "country." Here N/S is "balking" at one additional "standard" passenger-train on its system. How will N/S react to the proposed designation of the WHOLE corridor from Pittsburgh to Philly as "high-speed" and thus "prime" passenger-rail track ?? Similar situations exist over the WHOLE country.

Some somebody please explain to me (in "layman's terms") how this whole high-speed corridor proposal INVOLVES the freight-rail companies.

1. Who will actually be responsible for BUILDING and MAINTAINING the high-speed track systems ??

2. Will freight-traffic be permitted over the rail ?

3. Will Amtrak do express shipping over the rails ?

4. It is only logical that the major freight-rail companies will want NOTHING to do with the whole high-speed corridor concept. What is to prevent them from completely refusing to cooperate with the whole idea and "shuting-down" the WHOLE concept NATIONWIDE ??

I hear all this talk about Congress wanting to get "SERIOUS" about a "rebirth" of passenger-rail service in this country, but absolutely NOTHING (not one iota) about HOW the FREIGHT COMPANIES will be EXPECTED to cooperate. Does anyone else agree that this is RIDICULOUS , or is it just ME ?? I sometimes wonder !!!

Some of you may already be aware of the CSX official from Jacksonville who recently appeared before a Congressional committee related to high-speed passengers trains on the system down south----in a "nut-shell" , he told the committee , " NO WAY !!" "CSX does NOT want high-speed passengers trains on the system." "It will be dangerous and expensive" The cost per mile , he stated , to build and maintain high-speed track will be over FOUR times the "suggested" 1.5 million dollars per mile-----and thus CSX wants NO PART in the proposal.

Now tell me , with this type of attitude , how can one possibly get excited about all the talk of high-speed rail corridor initiatives ?? Everyone knows that the reaction of THAT CSX official will be "mirrored" across the whole nation !! The bottom line is that the freight-rail companies DO NOT want ANYTHING to do (even remotely) with the high-speed rail corridor proposal----or the proposed rail investment plan that is proposed (and evidently will be sponsored) by so many senators.

So am I missing something or what ?? Where/how do the freight companies FIT-IN to all these new proposals ???

All the PLANS I have heard related to the "rebirth" of passenger-rail service in this country have mentioned NOTHING about dealing with TOTAL freight-rail opposition.

So do not expect ME to get excited about all the new "possibilities" related to passenger-rail service in the country until I hear FACTS about how the freight-rail companies will "made" to cooperate.

Let's face it, without the full and complete "blessing" of freight-rail , passenger-rail service in this country will NEVER gain prominence----much to my dismay , I might add.

One things for sure--Amtrak needs to make the necessary capital investments to either fund maintenance mandates passed on the freight companies, or ditch those lines all together and have amtrak invest on their own lines---an extremely costly--and politically unpopular option.