What is it about Leftists and trains?! The Democrats just love to push rail projects and tout the magnificence of riding on the tracks, just constant fantasies in the clouds that ignore the realities on the ground. And these mythologized goals always cost a crap-ton of money, and most certainly involve obscene levels of waste, fraud, and graft. (I just answered my own rhetorical.) They sell “Polar Express” dreams, and deliver trainwreck nightmares.
Amtrak has been a generational failure, with annual losses that would make your checkbook melt.
"The passenger railroad posted an overall operating loss of $1.76 billion, which was $49 million less than the $1.81 billion loss it had shown for fiscal 2024."
In South Florida, as a prime example of local failures, the Tri-Rail line, running between Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, has been notable for years of ignored ridership. Then, in the face of this perpetual loser, another rail service was added, called Brightline, that would run travelers from Miami to Orlando, with plans to expand to Tampa and Tallahassee. This too, unsurprisingly, has delivered dismal ridership and significant losses.
And we are all by now familiar with Gavin Newsom’s high-speed rail project between Los Angeles and San Francisco, which was supposed to be operational years ago. Governor Brylcreem just celebrated…doing something, when nothing has been accomplished. Tabbed initially for a $33 billion build, with trains running, uh, six years ago, it now is projected to cost $100 billion more - and they may start laying track soon!
READ MORE: CBS Exposes Newsom's $135 Billion Train Debacle: No Tracks Laid, Billions Wasted, and Going Nowhere
So in similar fashion, but on a smaller scale, we have another failed steel wheels enterprise. In the nation’s capital the word came out that the district was shutting down operations of the D.C. Streetcar. If you are feeling wonderment that such a thing even existed, many plying their trade in Washington, D.C., are equally oblivious. This began being discussed back in 2002, as a proposed commuter line that could ultimately circle the district and provide service for millions of riders. As anyone with a middle school education could have predicted, it became far more costly while delivering far less and was mostly disregarded by residents.
Today is the last day to ride #DCStreetcar. We’re reflecting on 10 years of service along the H Street NE Corridor & Benning Road. Thank you to our riders, local businesses, and community for being part of the journey. Service will end today, 3/31/26, with the last ride at 10 PM. pic.twitter.com/jcco7vapj2
— DC Streetcar (@DCStreetcar) March 31, 2026
The district ordered its first three train cars from a Czech Republic company, and then delays meant they had to be warehoused in that country for two years. This delayed timetable stretched past the warranty date on the cars and cost the district almost $900,000 a year for storage fees. Announcements were made that the line would begin service in the summer of 2013, and then, like a failed Hollywood blockbuster, the premier date was perpetually changed.
It was reported that October of that year would see the trains running, next the testing on the route was done in August of 2014, then January 2015 would start the operations of line, and that was cancelled with one director coming out state the D.C. DOT would no longer issue estimated start dates. In February, one of the cars caught fire during a test run. After more hiccups and a federal probe into the safety issues it was not until February 2016 when the D.C. Streetcar service finally began
A number of proposed lines throughout the D.C. region were begun, with rails constructed but routes later becoming scrapped, as delays and budget overruns meant the expansion of the Streetcar program was stalled. Tens of millions were spent on laying tracks that ultimately went unused. In the end, all that ultimately comprised the D.C. Streetcar “system” was a 2.2-mile run, running from Union station, eastbound along H Street, becoming Benning Road.
Even with this abbreviated route there were significant issues. Frequently, there would be delays due to traffic and other commuting impediments. One of the primary challenges was seeing the rail line blocked by cars that were double-parked. Now add in that fewer people used the streetcar service than the commuter bus lines running along the same route, despite the trains being a free service, as opposed to the buses which sport fares to ride. This entire enterprise was an abject waste, of time, resources, money, and the gumming up of traffic meant to be alleviated.
All told, $200 million was spent on this truncated rail line, and ridership was decidedly lower than anticipated. And, in keeping with the tradition, after initially announcing things would be shuttered in 2017, that date was changed, and in the fall of 2025, the announcement came that at the start of 2026 schedules would be cut down, Sunday service was eliminated, and then the entire project shuttered on March 31.
But not to worry, fans of useless governmental projects. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced that while commuter lines will temporarily replace the Streetcar service, she has plans to install a “next generation” streetcar service. These are essentially EV buses which would be operating on the same overhead electrical lines used for the just-terminated D.C. Streetcars.
The idea is to then have these buses expanded to additional routes, as intended for the streetcars, creating an actual system in the district. This will entail the installation of those electrical lines, so more expense lies ahead. We all should know what this represents.
