synonymouse, let me pass on some advice my 8th grade shop teacher gave me many years ago. "Make sure your brain is in gear before you open your mouth." I know several engineers at BART, most of which have been there a long time. I know none who want maglev or monorail. In fact, they all ridicule those who even suggest such. Most of what you complain about, whether it be BART or HSR are not decisions made by the engineers, but by their management or politicians. The engineers do the best they can with the decisions made by the occasional "pointy-haired" boss or by an incompetent politician. So, perhaps what we should do is rely upon the infinite wisdom of those on railfan websites. Apparently they know more about railroad engineering and management than those who have been doing it their entire lives.