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Yesterday, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) released two new television ads that tout the $23 billion the freight-rail industry expects to spend this year to build, maintain and upgrade infrastructure, and acquire equipment.

One ad equates the $23 billion to the cost to build four baseball stadiums for the Washington Nationals, five Woodrow Wilson Bridges and eight Washington Convention Centers. Another ad shows the spending is the equivalent of funding necessary to launch four Mars rovers, 10 GPS satellites and 20 space shuttles in one year.

"We invest in the rail network so taxpayers don't have to," said AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger in a prepared statement. "These investments in turn help keep American businesses competitive in the global marketplace, while supporting not only railroad jobs, but also supporting jobs throughout the economy."

Freight-rail industry spending has reached record levels the past three years, according to the AAR. The expenditures include intermodal terminals; new track, bridges and tunnels; modernized safety equipment; and new locomotives and rail cars. Since 1980, the industry has spent more then $500 billion on infrastructure and equipment.