They are the trains accounting for Amtrak's losses.
Seems a reasonable strategy. Like "make another bigger pie, stop fighting over the slices" But would take a bit of political co-operation to make the best of it.I have an even better (long term) idea. Generate agreements with the freight carriers & state / local government entities. Improve the infrastructure, increase the frequencies on some of these routes and promote the corridor portions of some of these routes. Then allow marketshare to grow even more & possibly consider lowering fares rather than raising them.
Perhaps first you should explain why you think Amtrak should make a profit.They are the trains accounting for Amtrak's losses.
I agree completely. I live in the Northeast, but I don't see why someone in New York or Washington gets the choice of several Acelas a day plus a bunch of Regionals, while someone in another part of the country gets nothing. (Yes, I know "Nobody out in the middle of the country takes the train"--could it be because they don't have one?). I do one tiny thing that may or may not help in the great scheme of things. I use points for Business Class on the Northeast Regional (say, from NJ to CT or NJ to VA), but I pay cash for a long-distance roomette to Florida. I may not be using my points as wisely as possible, but I prefer to give actual money to routes that can use it.Seems a reasonable strategy. Like "make another bigger pie, stop fighting over the slices" But would take a bit of political co-operation to make the best of it.I have an even better (long term) idea. Generate agreements with the freight carriers & state / local government entities. Improve the infrastructure, increase the frequencies on some of these routes and promote the corridor portions of some of these routes. Then allow marketshare to grow even more & possibly consider lowering fares rather than raising them.
Amtrak is federally funded public transportation. Other forms of public transportation are funded by various public government sources.They are the trains accounting for Amtrak's losses.
I'm not a fan of losing Amtrak. I really am not. The total tax burden on the average American is $0.40 for every man woman and child. But I would like to see that money better spent. You can be fair to employees, charge a fair price, and make a little money.Amtrak is federally funded public transportation. Other forms of public transportation are funded by various public government sources.They are the trains accounting for Amtrak's losses.
As to "losses":
Does the public sidewalk in front of your home, office,or business make a profit? No! I don't have a sidewalk in front of my house. You can pay to put one there, even though you live nowhere near me.
Does the public street,roadway or interstate highways in front of your home, office, or business make a profit? No! Considering more people travel on these modes in my small city than ride LD trains in a year, I would say that the return on my taxes is better suited towards my daily needs.
Does the bridge, overpass or tunnel you travel make a profit? No ! See above.
Does any passenger train make a profit? No! Yes!
Does any form of public transportation make a profit? No! You're probably right here. Private transportation for the public good can and has made a profit. It's a shame when the "public" takes it over and destroys it. The Chicago El lost money only because the city refused to allow it to raise rates that followed regular inflation.
Therefore the question is: Should all forms of 'money losing' public transit, trains, sidewalks, roads, bridges,highways, rapid transit, metro subways, city bus, etc, subsidized air routes, airport facilities, and annual maintenance of these entities, in front of your home, office, or business and used by your family, friends, and clients-customers be cut or fares raised?
Back in the day passenger rail travel losses were killing the railroads.No. Amtrak was created because the railroads felt passenger rail travel was unprofitable, or not profitable enough. There are certain things besides public safety, the military and education that our government should provide and I believe Amtrak long / medium distance rail service is something that should be provided.
If you're looking to scale down Amtrak's portfolio, then why not entertain the notion of selling off the corridors of Amtrak that are successful, and profitable? I'm not advocating that the Federal Government should do this, nor am I sure there would be any business that would think any part of Amtrak would be worth owning/operating with profit as a motivation. It's just another way to look at it.
The postwar resurgence was short-lived. In 1946, there remained 45 percent fewer passenger trains than in 1929,[10] and the decline quickened despite railroad optimism. Passengers disappeared and so did trains. Few trains generated profits; most produced losses. Broad-based passenger rail deficits appeared as early as 1948[10] and by the mid-1950s railroads claimed aggregate annual losses on passenger services of more than $700 million (almost $5 billion in 2005 dollars when adjusted for inflation).[11][12][13]
By 1965, only 10,000 rail passenger cars were in operation, 85 percent fewer than in 1929.[11] Passenger service was provided on only 75,000 miles (120,000 km) of track, a stark decline.[11] The 1960s also saw the end of railway post office revenues, which had helped some of the remaining trains break even.
Who does?You can be fair to employees, charge a fair price, and make a little money.
Since we are talking here of long distance trains, the claim made above that "passenger trains make a profit" presumably is about LD trains. I would like to know which LD train service was in mind for making that claim.Does any passenger train make a profit? No! Yes!
The basic contention that passenger trains do not make a profit holds.JR East owns the land around the railways and lets it out; nearly a third of its revenue comes from shopping malls, blocks of offices, flats and the like.
Why now?They are the trains accounting for Amtrak's losses.
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