I did see part one of the double-decker diaries, and your summary of the situation in the U.S. is accurate as far as I'm aware. The basic problem here is that we have reasonably good mid-1970s-ish railroad technology, but the demand is so low (except for the Northeast corridor) that needed political support is not available.

Incidently, I was surprized at how many level crossings there are. The main job of the engineer is to blow the horn all the time.