Can American Rail Survive Without Government Support?

 

Key Points:

  • The current US infrastructure bill aims to invest $66 billion in passenger and freight railing improvements, which could help numerous rail projects.
  • Leveraging private capital has been crucial to bridging the funding gap left by a lack of federal rail support.
  • Growth in communities can’t be addressed through highways but rather by investing in real transit systems.

Commentary:

The railroad industry is something that America has depended on for centuries. Whether it is transporting goods or people, legacy rail infrastructure is still in use today and a vital piece of the logistics supply chain. But like much of the US’ infrastructure, railroads, especially passenger rails stunted by a lack of federal dollars, are in dire need of upkeep and investments. Where is that money supposed to come from?

Lewis Rand, Associate Director of Turner & Townsend, gave MarketScale his thoughts on how these systems can be updated to account for city growth, needed renovations, and to ensure longevity. Besides natural growth and upkeep, investment in the railroad industry is one of the major tenets of President Joe Biden’s recent infrastructure bill and executive order, hoping to revitalize infrastructure and promote competition within the industry. Rand also explains how the executive order could help or hurt the railroad industry.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

inclusion
Inclusion Beyond Compliance: What It Really Takes to Build Workplace Cultures Where People Feel Seen, Supported, and Free to Belong
December 16, 2025

Inclusion is often reduced to policies and checklists, but its true measure shows up in everyday experiences — in whether people feel seen, supported, and able to contribute without hiding parts of who they are. When organizations move beyond compliance and toward genuine understanding, they open the door to talent, perspective, and potential that…

Read More
healthcare
How Simulation-Based Education Is Transforming Healthcare Leadership and Decision-Making Worldwide
December 16, 2025

As healthcare systems worldwide face rising costs, workforce shortages, and increasing pressure to balance quality with financial sustainability, traditional classroom-based management education is struggling to keep pace. According to the World Economic Forum, healthcare spending now accounts for nearly 10% of global GDP, making leadership decision-making more consequential—and more complex—than ever. At the same…

Read More
work-based learning
Scaling Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum: How Riipen Powers Real Employer Projects at Scale
December 15, 2025

Higher education is facing renewed scrutiny over how well it prepares students for life after graduation. Employers are increasingly signaling that many graduates enter the workforce without real-world, job-ready experience—placing new pressure on higher education to rethink how learning connects to work. Research on high-impact practices consistently shows that experiential and work-based learning boosts…

Read More
private equity
Alts Innovators: UT Austin’s Dr. Ken Wiles on Private Equity
December 15, 2025

Private equity is entering a period of adjustment after decades of expansion fueled by falling interest rates and abundant capital. That long-running tailwind reversed beginning in 2022, when interest rates rose sharply, disrupting deal activity, slowing exits, and bringing renewed attention to a long-standing vulnerability in private markets: liquidity. Industry reports have highlighted softer fundraising,…

Read More