Amtrak needs tens of billions of dollars in capital investment to get its trains up to the standard of middle income countries in the rest of the world (let’s not aspire to the European or Japanese standards of 50 YEARS AGO just yet). However, this (Philadelphia Inquirer, paywalled) article has some low-hanging-fruit ideas for how Amtrak could move more people at lower cost. Amtrak has apparently rejected all of them.

• Instead of running old and new trains and different speeds and with different classes of cost, run just the new trains with two or three different class compartments. This would allow them to run more often and move more people at lower cost. It would also be safer because the newer trains are less likely to derail and more survivable if they do derail.
• Maintain public ownership of the lines and stations, but consider competitively contracting some of the operations and support services. These would be for fixed time periods, so if it didn’t work out you could go back to status quo.

Okay, actually that was a list of only two. They also need to upgrade or replace many curves, bridges, and tunnels that limit speeds. My big, naive idea has always been to start laying high speed rail lines along the interstate highway system. This already connects our population centers. It would automatically connect with buses and other forms of local transporation. You already have the public right of way and at least some of the crossing, utility, bridge and tunnel issues worked out. Autonomous vehicles maybe/should/could decrease traffic and free up capacity and width requirements at some point. You can double deck them where needed. We might be able to build out a modern electric grid this way too. Expensive? Sure, it’s an investment in the long-term future of the economy and country.