Adam Maas wrote:
On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 1:26 PM, P. J. Alling <p_all...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Adam Maas wrote:
In the US road taxes, in the form of gasoline taxes not only pay for road
repair but also subsidize various rail systems, which cannot pay for
themselves out operating revenue.
Bob W wrote:
Actually, most rail in the US pays for itself. Most rail _PASSENGER_
service does not, despite being both subsidized and also using right
of way that is payed for by a 3rd party (the freight railroads) at
nominal cost. Only some of the commuter services and Amtrak's
high-speed corridor in the East run on dedicated right of way and the
Amtrak right of way pays for itself (Amtrak's losses come from the
other less-popular routes).
I forgot the Passenger Caveat. Yes freight pays passenger service does not,
and that's been mostly true for about 100 years, I suspect that the Amtrack
High Speed services only show a profit through a certain amount of balance
sheet magic.
--
Passenger service used to show profits when mail service was also
supplied by rail. As soon as it moved to air and truck, Passenger
service quit being profitable in the main. Mail was what made rail
passenger service viable.
The Amtrak High Speed service makes a profit by being a short very
high usage run. It's notably faster and less hassle than flying or
driving.
The High speed Acella service between Boston and NY shaves maybe 15
minutes off the time of the regular trains, it's not particularly high
speed. It doesn't really compete against air travel, more against
driving. I live right in that corridor and unless you're going from
downtown to downtown driving wins.
--
The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or
drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn
fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a
free man any more than a dog.
--G. K. Chesterton
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