Yes, maybe rail PER SE might be a good idea, but IN CONTEXT it is ridiculous.
I am reminded of Fukushima and how people said, what a stupid idea it was to build a nuclear reactor in a quake + tsunami zone.
When one is faced with LIMITED RESOURCES it is imperative to seek the BEST and MOST OPTIMAL use of those resources (money, time, brain power, physical energy, raw materials, etc.) to fix problems, improve operations, etc.
The results of rail speak for itself. It is nowhere being completed, and whatever has so far been built is not even that stable. It's ridiculous.
Imagine a quake or tsunami knocks everything down one day. Then what have you got?
Better to use the resources to make sure everything else ESSENTIAL works first (like that sewage blowout problem that now is like a yearly event) THEN we can look at these other improvements.
I haven't even mentioned POT HOLES!