Smarter Faster Rail

Add third and fourth tracks. Straighten curves. Fix bridges. It isn't necessarily super cheap, and it isn't as sexy as monorail MagLev, but it's a much cheaper way to increase average speeds, which is much more important than increasing top speeds. Your standard NE regional rail Amtrak train can travel 90 MPH easy, where track conditions allow it.

If traffic is smooth on Interstate 95, driving is the quickest way to get from Richmond to Washington — even faster than taking the train, which can take up to 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Virginia transportation officials say they want to cut that train ride to 90 minutes, make passenger train travel more reliable and attractive to travelers in the corridor, and increase capacity.

If there were some sudden national commitment to build a MagLev network, I'd be all for it (I'm not sure it'd be the best way to go about building high speed rail, but I'll take nice things where I can get them), but that's not going to happen any time soon. $10 billion for 40 miles between Baltimore and DC would be the boondoggle that would ensure it would never happen, and the current Maryland governor certainly isn't the guy to make it happen anyway.