Having been born in Akron and having watched them cut down the trolley bus wires in Akron in '58 and then again in Columbus in '65 I guess I just have a bad attitude toward the Buckeye State. Cleveland is the only city in Ohio with mass transit rail - Columbus and Cincy talk the talk but AFAIK nothing so far. So I think even 79mph is pushing it for Ohio right now. Urban rail transit first. And if I remember right there never really was a rail line paralleling route 71, which is the Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati interstate.

As to double and triple tracking freight rr's I couldn't be more in agreement. The only point I could add - perhaps pushing it a bit - would be to "incentivitize" electrification of the main lines in the West.

As to Tejon I recommend the TRAC proposal - forget Borden to Corcoran for now. My question is whether you could operate the Tejon tunnels with Amtrak diesels in the interim for compatibility and prompt startup.