Rail is the US is a nightmare. It impossible for a private entity profitably operate passenger transit because the government subsidizes road transit to the tune of trillions of dollars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scanda...
It would seem monied interests want to keep us in cars sucking oil instead of whizzing along tracks. I see this as being a big impediment to the creation of viable nationwide rail networks.
The costs are more than just laying down blacktop.