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The freight rail vs. passenger rail is a complex problem. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach provide tremendous amounts of economic activity. The need to share the same tracks with Metrolink is part of what makes additional commuter rail problematic. Building separate tracks costs a lot of money. I don’t have an easy answer here. But I don’t think freight rail is the “enemy” here. We need to move both goods and people.

It’s a complex problem which probably requires a complex solution.

That recent economic “stimulus” package mostly went to pay down debt and stimulate the Chinese economy would have been more effective stimulus had that money been spent on transportation and other infrastructure, on the kinds of jobs and goods that cannot be outsourced and have long term economic development contributions.