This isn't the 1800's or even early 1900's any more. As such railroads simply cannot ram through ROW (and or pay those off in government who can grease the wheels), easily.
There were no environmental review or whatever laws/rules back then. If the ROW ran through some bird's nesting area (which the Lackawanna Cutoff Project did), it was too bad for the birds. Instead the LCP had to wait and or whatever IIRC to work around said fowl.
Ditto for the whole culvert fiasco which has held up the project for months.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewt...580&start=5100
Sadly this is what happens when you let RR ROW become inactive, ripped up and or otherwise decommissioned. That is the easy part, starting up an inactive ROW is a *HUGE* undertaking as everything must be done to modern laws, rules and regulations both federal and local.
You look at how fast PRR built things like the LC, Penn Station and other major projects. That simply never can or will happen today.
With this in mind if anyone thinks the Lackawanna cutoff project is a fiasco, just wait until or when things start on new North River Tunnels.
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