So what’s the solution to revamp and restore them? I’ve seen tons of abandoned rail lines, usually rusted to uselessness and even paved over for “walking trails”. California has a hard enough time just extending BART a single mile.
The same solution to our current one with frequent potholes and congestion issues on our highway system; constant maintenance and attention.
I’m not going to delude myself into saying we gather 5 plucky volunteers to knock weeds off the rails and they’re set for a decade. But the costs are ultimately being compared to what the whole country needs to spend for its cars to continue being useful.
I can’t even totally complain about towns making rail trails instead - having some kind of viable walking path is also a good change.