Quote:
Originally Posted by drummer
I'm generally in agreement with your points. While I understand why folks would want to repurpose freight lines, it would be so much better (as with metro rail also) to pick the ideal station locations and see about routing rail to them...which would mean brand new construction of everything, and therefore more money, but it would still be better.
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The thing is that many of the existing freight lines (here in Texas and elsewhere) _do_ go to the ideal locations. Because they were there first, and the town grew up around them (often because of the railroad). Or because they were pretty close, and the city has grown 100x in the last century.
That's why the freight relocation fund exists. Because you've got all this freight running through the middle of cities/metros, leading to increased congestion (from closed crossings) and air pollution.