re-training ourselves
Jun. 12th, 2008 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelidonHouse approves Amtrak funding
This is good news. After many years of Republican Congresses systematically starving out Amtrak because it's unionized, and because Subsidies are Bad and Private Industry Can Do It Better (if so, then why haven't they?), the recent fuel price hikes have finally made it politically a good thing to fund rail again. We've got a very long way to go to rebuild this country's rail infrastructure, but since rail passenger travel and freight transport is by far the most fuel-efficient way to go in most cases, I suspect we're going to see a new renaissance of rail after a long period of neglect and decline.
On the other hand, much like airlines, the long-haul trucking industry is in deep and serious trouble, as diesel prices top $5/gallon. We'll be seeing a lot more trains, and a lot less trucks.
This is good news. After many years of Republican Congresses systematically starving out Amtrak because it's unionized, and because Subsidies are Bad and Private Industry Can Do It Better (if so, then why haven't they?), the recent fuel price hikes have finally made it politically a good thing to fund rail again. We've got a very long way to go to rebuild this country's rail infrastructure, but since rail passenger travel and freight transport is by far the most fuel-efficient way to go in most cases, I suspect we're going to see a new renaissance of rail after a long period of neglect and decline.
On the other hand, much like airlines, the long-haul trucking industry is in deep and serious trouble, as diesel prices top $5/gallon. We'll be seeing a lot more trains, and a lot less trucks.
