Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.
Passenger trains have better maintained tracks and so are not likely to derail. They are also less likely to hit things because they are grade separated - fenced, elevated tracks, in tunnels. These are more cost, but they are things society wants (not the same as rail executives) Trams which run on the street are much slower and do have drivers.
Passenger trains generally don’t go that fast in areas where they’re likely to hit something or derail. Which is not what rail executives want.
Passenger trains have better maintained tracks and so are not likely to derail. They are also less likely to hit things because they are grade separated - fenced, elevated tracks, in tunnels. These are more cost, but they are things society wants (not the same as rail executives) Trams which run on the street are much slower and do have drivers.