Railroads are much more valuable than most Americans can possibly imagine. And technology will only make it more so, if sufficient people are willing to work on it. Here are some ideas off the top of my head:

* automated trains for long distance travel, self-driving car-2-go's for short distance travel

* integrate future transport modules with the railway network and build more tracks; travel long distance on electric self-driving cars.

Of course, the main obstacle is the high initial capital investment. Here too, anyone really serious should start small: start by helping the current rail operators optimize freight (the real money maker); gain their confidence and then work on a joint project on a small scale; if it works out, then expand throughout the country.

It's painful to see that a country as large as America has such an inadequate railroad system. But maybe it was for the best: countries like France or Japan with an entrenched railway system will have probably have a hard time making the switch to radical new technologies