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Freight railroads are alive and well in the US. Incidentally, it's also the side of the railroad business that is mostly deregulated and privatised. The passenger business is nationalised, and frankly a basket case.

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(it's not a basket case because it's nationalised, it's nationalised because it's a basket case - thank the automotive industry - and it's a national security asset)

Freight railroads weren't always doing so well. They picked up a lot after deregulation.

Compare also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_privatisation_of... and see eg the share of rail in all transport.

You mean when they ditched their much-less-profitable passenger lines and forced the government to deal with them, then heavily consolidated?

Lobby to socialise or externalise all the costs. Work to privatise only the profits. Typical mode of operation.

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