Old Poleburner's Quote..."But why should the taxpayer invest if the public will not get such benefits..."

I am not sure why everyone on this board bashes the UP. Furthermore, I believe that the benefits the tax payers would receive would be less congestion on the highways leading to faster commutes, etc... For example.. the NWP along Highway 101 north of San Francisco.

With California being the Greenest State in the world, you would think that the taxpayers would see the benefits for for the cleaner air with fuel economies of scale on rail vs. truck. Railroads are also abiding by California law to utilize locomotives with more stringent regulations in California vs. other states. I guess all of the money that railroads invest (UP $3.1B) this year just grows on trees. I'd like to see other transportation modes match those Capital Expeditures vs. Overall Income.

UP has invested over $30B in the last 12 years for expansion of infrastructure and capacity to handle more traffic efficiently. This allows for the opportunity to take those pesky trucks and all of that pollution off the roads and out of the air for the State of California.

I just get sick and tired of seeing the bashing going on here. I know that alot of people on this site know alot about Trains, but may not have the complete understanding of how the railroads are ran and managed from a financial perspective.

Thanks for reading my rant!

-Tom