Search results

On the issue of land grants https://www.aar.org/keyissues/Documents/Background-Papers/Railroad-Land-Grants.pdf

Completely dumb idea separating infrastructure and operations has failed every time its tried. Why should things be standardized?

Complete nonsense. Eminent domain was rarely used if at all. Most railroad were built in areas where people didn't live. The land grants were paid off by building the railroads, by paying large taxes, and by running postal service and army service for below market rates. The land grants were for...

Passenger rail is uprofitable due to government subsidized roads and airports and because of tight regulations. Nothing about the technology requires a subsidy.

Yes it is. There are other private ATC system such as that in Switzerland or Canada. Airlines benefit enormously in that they don't pay for the full cost of the FAA's operation.

Exactly my point Amtrak was a result of government intervention. Trying to solve a problem caused by government with more government. Your exaggerating costs. Not every road would be a tollroad. Streets and other utilities would be owned by those whom live upon them. Intracity rail would return...

Nonsense and revisionism. What killed pacific electric was not a lack of users but over regulation through paving requirements, union labor, and 5 Cent fares.

Why those things be that expensive? Government doesn't drive down costs it drives them up hugely. For example a fare on public transit before government take over was 5-10 cents which translated today would be 89-1.10 dollars and the systems made money on these fares. Now a fare on MTA costs...

Actually I wouldn't be against the government getting out of the Transportation business.

I didn't really accomplish anything but the central point is true though Amtrak is technically private. It could pay for itself if it simply reduced wages and benefits being as they make up 50% of expenses. chrsjrcj: what political forum do you see me on?

The common stock is owned by the private railroads. Oops sorry I misread what you said.

"The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, is not a government agency or establishment. Although Amtrak is a private corporation operated for profit, it is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) under provisions of the Rail Passenger Service Act, as amended...