New Rail Study

[Bob C]

Just throwing another bit in...the Amtrak employees I knew told me that the Northeast Corridor was easily in the black, as were some few other well utilized routes. For various reasons, population density, passenger traffic levels, competition, schedule, most of the vast - by comparison to the oft-lauded European (Government subsidized/operated) systems - scope of the U.S. rail system won't/can't be serviced at a profit. As a business, Amtrak fails because it's expected service (take me where I want, when I want, cheap cause you aren't as fast as a plane) is nearly impossible without outrageous infrastructure, fares to pay for that, and intense utilization over the entire area served. The alternative (since nobody in the private sector seems to have an alternative) is government subsidy/operation. "High-Speed" rail - as a mass long distance transportation system is still science or political fiction, meant to line some folks pockets at government/taxpayer expense - for technical and all of the above reasons, ain't happening any time soon - certainly not without government/tax $$$. That's not socialism, it's the power of group purchasing based on a societal need/want that cannot be as economically attained by an individual or a smaller group !...he descends from soap box and awaits the shower of shoes (?)..... Bob C.