Very biased article. However, I could see a situation where, in a limited area with functional PTC and very light standard-rail traffic, some allowance for lighter TRANSIT stuff could be made. I still don't like the idea of light rail-style stuff running intermixed with regular trains - the performance differences alone would make that a problem, and a light rail train even with some tweaks tangling with any freight train or even a RDC would not be a pretty sight.

The new Siemens electrics for Amtrak *look* European and are based in large part on a European model, but have significant structural mods to meet FRA standards. And even standard American freight locos built before 2009 don't meet current structural safety standards with regard to crew protection in the cab.

FRA has accepting some new approaches, such as the "crash energy management" structure in Metrolink's Rotem cars that substitutes controlled crush zones (and everybody riding backward) for some of the heavy structure (not all of it).

Given the tangled messes with multiple fatalities I've seen in photos of European train crashes even at relatively moderate speeds, I don't think I want to have those things hauling people around unmodified everywhere in our wide-open environment. OTOH, if a True HSR line without mixed traffic and fully grade separated is set up the lightweight approach is mandatory to avoid sucking impossible amounts of energy -- but there you're not mixing up with other traffic so the relative masses involved are even.