Responding to the railway safety article. We don’t have a public railway system in our country: neither freight or passenger. ALL rails and roadbeds are privately owned. Warren Buffett is still a top executive even those his rail system, the BNFS, spun off Norfolk Southern a few years ago.

AMTRAK is a federal passenger system but it rents rails from private companies. I know it’s ridiculous.

Yes, private means market-based principle rule. Turning a sizable profit is necessary.

All of Europe is totally public and it works great. Anyone who’s travelled in France, Italy and Spain knows that reality. On the other hand, England, under Thatcher, became all private and it’s a total mess.

Greek railways were recently privatized, yes leading to the recent killing disaster.

On top of this, the Trump Administration heeded the demand of the for-profit rail corporations and relaxed very important safety braking rules: That directly lead to these current deadly derailments. Reportedly the Biden Administration tried to reinstall the rules, but it’s tied up in the House.

The ridiculously long trains and only two workers on each train is a recipe for disaster.

People near these rail crossings have a real reason to be worried and concerned. Maybe our elected House representative could bring us up to date.

Frank Goldsmith

Ulster Heights