ST Alpha - "I like trains a lot and wish I could use them more myself, but cost vs. use has to be considered." (Reading a Post)

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I like trains a lot and wish I could use them more myself, but cost vs. use has to be considered.

Posted by b. (aka starrynit) May 13 '15, 14:29

especially with the crumbling infrastructure in many areas, of roads/bridges that get way more use than trains do in some areas. that subsidizing could go a long way for them.

if there was a way to keep the profitable (or at least not super unprofitable) routes going and nix those that are far from even breaking even, that could be a middle ground.

Responses:

[deleted]
I think dumping the unprofitable routes and keeping the profitable ones is exactly what people like ML and me are suggesting. -- nm - Ender May 13, 14:36 5
- ok. that was not clear to me from the bb comments. -- nm - b. May 13, 14:39 4
  - It's the subsidies we're railing against, and those subsidies are there because the long haul lines lose tens of millions a year each. -- nm - Ender May 13, 14:43 3
    - So, less than a hundredth of a percentage point of the federal budget - znufrii May 13, 14:58 1
      - [deleted]
    - (And those long routes are generally there just to appease Congressmen so they'll get their subsidy.) -- nm - Ender May 13, 14:43
If we had been investing in them the way other sane governments do, they would be a more viable competitor to the airlines in short route travel - professor smartbrain May 13, 14:32 9
- Pop Quiz: How many transit systems in the entire world make a profit? - Strongbad May 13, 14:43 8
  - What was the answer? -- nm - David May 13, 15:27 1
    - As of 10-15 years ago, the only one was Hong Kong. -- nm - Strongbad May 13, 15:57
  - [deleted] 4
    - I could have been a clearer in my comment about profitability. I don't think all routes need to be profitable, but I remember reading about - b. May 13, 15:04 2
      - [deleted]
      - + bit -- nm - b. May 13, 15:05
    - I agree. -- nm - Strongbad May 13, 14:52
  - Interesting -- nm - zork May 13, 14:45

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I like trains a lot and wish I could use them more myself, but cost vs. use has to be considered.

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