Reuse existing corridors
Compare upgraded freight rail, dedicated track within existing railway rights-of-way, and suitable highway transportation corridors to understand capital costs and physical constraints.
Rail research concept · 2026
Building on What Exists
Research in progress on expanding rail through existing corridors, selective electrification, and station-area real estate development.
RESEARCH IN PROGRESS / 2026
Building on What Exists
Miles Silverman
Started October 2026
In progress
How could better rail become more useful and more financially achievable?
I’m investigating a phased approach to U.S. passenger rail that begins with existing rail and transportation corridors, adds dedicated high-speed infrastructure where demand supports it, and extends service through comfortable regional and overnight trains. The research compares diesel generation, batteries, and overhead wires, considers benefits for freight and commuter rail, and asks how station-area real estate development could help finance each stage. The goal is to identify useful improvements with the greatest return per dollar.
An active research concept investigating corridor feasibility, costs, demand, and funding. Findings and design choices are still being developed.
Explore the research planIn progress / Research direction
What I’m investigating.
Match service to demand
Evaluate high-speed backbones, regional routes, overnight sleepers, and possible auto-train services against demand, comfort, travel time, and operating costs.
Optimize the power mix
Study where diesel generation, onboard batteries, and overhead wires offer the strongest combination of cost, energy performance, and operational reliability.
Bring development into the financing
Investigate ground leases, joint development, commercial income, and land-value capture around stations as ways to help fund rail and public-space improvements.
Share the benefits
Explore how upgrades could also support commuter and freight operations, reduce emissions, and connect communities more effectively.
Build in the right order
Compare capital requirements, demand, operating contribution, and wider benefits so each phase is selected for its return per dollar and its value to future expansion.
Southwest test case. The first corridor to investigate is Los Angeles–Phoenix–Tucson, with potential overnight extensions toward New Mexico and Texas on upgraded conventional routes. Alignment, costs, demand, and operating performance remain research questions.
Why this interests me.
This research brings together the goal that connects my work: improving quality of life in cities and using real estate development to help subsidize better infrastructure and public space. I want to understand how more useful transportation and thoughtful station-area development could reinforce one another, with investment phased around actual costs, demand, and income that can be captured for future improvements.
Start a conversation
Good things start
with a connection.
Interested in infrastructure, a project, or an idea worth building? I’d love to hear from you.
milessil@usc.edu