This one really deserves a barf alert. The author's thesis boils down to "I like passenger trains so you need to pay for them."
Socialism, pure and simple. Mobocracy at work.
If the author is pushing socialism, then so did President Madison when he initiated federal involvement in building roads. So did President Lincoln when he signed the law creating "land grant" railroads to sew the country together. So did President Coolidge when he got the federal government to improve waterways. So did President Eisenhower when he proposed building the Interstates.
Let's face it. The author is right. The feds have been funding internal improvements for nearly 200 years. Canals had their day. Rail had its day. Roads have had their day. So has air. Now it's time to fund the rails again.
What's old becomes new again.