Trains idea isn't totally off track

From an editorial in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

The last regularly scheduled passenger train rolled out of Green Bay in the spring of 1971, and the political and environmental realities of 2009 have brought rail service back to the future. We're not entirely sold on the idea, but it's worth a serious examination.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette recently wrote about Frank Ingram, a native of England who moved here 10 years ago and believes the time has come to resurrect rail service in this country.

In a way, America's fascination with railroads never went away. The little train at Bay Beach Amusement Park is one of its most popular attractions, and tourist railroads do a brisk business. The reuse of old train stations, like the Titletown Brewing Co., retains the charm of that past era.

And perhaps more to the point, when Green Bay residents visit places like Washington, D.C., or Chicago, or Europe, they often come back with wistful stories about the convenience of a well-run railroad system. And there's the rub.

Once the United States of America was crisscrossed by an impressive rail network, but midway through the 20th century, transportation dollars were diverted for the construction and maintenance of an interstate system of highways that is second-to-none in the world. Trains lost favor because the tracks were allowed to deteriorate to the point where they could not safely carry passengers at the speeds required to compete with the highways.

Now, the cost of re-creating that rail network is measured in many billions. The recently passed American Reinvestment and Recovery Act allocated up to $8 billion for railroad capital projects, but that's a drop in the bucket spread over 50 states. The cost of the 33-mile proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter service is estimated at $209 million, for example.

Therefore it's a bit pie-in-the-sky to believe Green Bay could become a passenger rail hub again anytime soon. The costs at first blush seem to be prohibitive.

But Ingram makes a compelling point: Linking Green Bay to Chicago by rail could be a huge boon to the local economy.