Now on to Plan B: Double-track the Sunset Route.

AP reports that Union Pacific Railroad was considering a new rail line from Yuma, Arizona, to the Mexican port of Punta Colonet--but that proposal is now effectively dead.

The idea was to find a new way to move goods from Pacific container ships inland. But Yuma farmers, among others, objected to the proposal, fearing eniment domain. Further, UP already has plenty of right of way from the busiest port on the Pacific coast: the historic Sunset Route from Los Angeles to El Paso.

The Port of Los Angeles already has several initiatives underway to shift containers from trucks to trains. One involves UP's Colton yard, which is on the Sunset Route.

What's this got to do with passenger trains? Two Amtrak trains use the Sunset Route, the Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited. Just as with highways, more capacity means less congestion and higher average train speeds. So doesn't it make eminent sense for UP and other stakeholders to find a way to add track to the Sunset Route?