Quote:
Originally posted by wolf
Amtrak only exists because of government subsidies.
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As opposed to the airlines and the auto industry!
Don't get me wrong, Amtrak needs to clean up its act and get rid of some useless routes. But let's not pretend that competing modes of transportation are self-sufficient. The ultimate government subsidy to the auto industry and everybody who owns a car is all the taxpayer money that's used for road construction and maintenance.
Here's an example of what's wrong with Amtrak. Let's say I want to visit the in-laws in Chicago. Philadelphia to Chicago roundtrip is $210 for Amtrak, $230 to fly. But that plane trip takes about 2 1/4 hours, while the Amtrak ride will take 18 1/2 hours to get there! "But Steve," you say, "that's not fair. You can go hop on the train tomorrow and pay $210. That air fare is a 21-day advance purchase." OK, fine, if I leave for Chicago tomorrow and return Monday, the same dates I picked for my train trip, I can do it for $506. That's more competitive in Amtrak's favor, but I suspect the majority of the people who are in a position where they absolutely have to buy a ticket now to leave tomorrow will choose to spend more money rather than deal with a 37-hour round trip.