These are people who make you wait in the rain for the train to board a car that is heated to 90 degrees. Caltrain is running diesel engines from the 1930s on bolted track that was invented in the 1860s. The crossing gates are from the 1940s and tickets are from, well, after the printing press was invented. Believe or not, train whistles used to sound nice. The old steam locomotives sounded two notes from a melodic chord.
European trains are fast, silent, efficient and comfortable.
The crossing gates there come down, the train passes, they go up. They know how to run trains both ways on a single track. To be fair. But they do share office and web space, produce consolidated financial reports, and presumably talk to each other far more than they talk to the public. A vision of improved transportation is a compelling reason to spend tax money.