Vuchic works as a transportation consultant worldwide but is a living encyclopedia of decades of rail-policy drama in our region. He confirmed my worries of lost congressional clout and a tapped-out populace. And the Airport Line, he said, was a heck of a lot cheaper compared with what is being sought for King of Prussia. (The Inquirer archives said that in 1985, it cost $89 million to build. That’s about $210 million in today’s dollars.)