Caltrans sort of did that at one time (may still be doing it!). Funds for maintenance were limited, so if a road got to a certain point it was left to fall apart completely. Then the rehab work could come out of the capital budget (with federal support) rather than the maintenance budget (state-only funds, chronically shorted). For a railroad, though, shorting maintenance can be a bad move because you never know how much the capital budget will be, for new stuff. With roads, at least, things were more predictable.

Angrier than Joe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The most unbelievable part about the situation is
> given all that, Amtrak is staffing its Beech
> Grove, IN heavy repair shop with...ONE...shift per
> day.
>
> It is truly like watching a company intentionally
> trying to go out of business observing this
> outfit.
>
>
>
> FUD Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Of course it can be true. Amtrak has been
> dealing
> > with maintenance problems for decades. Not just
> > with car supply - the old GEs are old and
> cranky
> > and worn out; the new Chargers are finicky and
> > cranky and still being debugged. Nothing
> > surprising (or should be, to somebody not
> > emulating Rip Van Winkle) about any of that.