UL Blasts Rail Project

The Union Leader editorializes against using the latest federal stimulus package as a way for rail enthusiasts to pay for their pet project:

It is typical of the most passionate rail enthusiasts to be blind to the arguments against massive taxpayer support for their pet project. Here are a few excellent reasons why dumping that kind of money into commuter rail isn't a great idea.

One, the project's estimated cost is $300 million. That means it will almost certainly cost $450 million or more and take years to complete. How will a project of that size and scope get done in time to "stimulate" the economy?

Two, it won't stimulate New Hampshire's economy nearly as much as a wider Interstate 93 will. Wider, safer, speedier highways bring more tourists. Who is going to ride the train from Boston to Nashua, then rent a car to go the rest of the way to the lakes or to ski slopes?

Three, who is going to pay to operate the thing, and how? Even if Obama the Benevolent handed us half a billion for the infrastructure, trains don't run themselves for free, and ticket prices cannot go high enough to cover the cost. We'll have a pretty new train sitting in the station unless we raise taxes to pay for it to choo-choo along the track.