"This week’s tragic accident in Philadelphia should be a reminder.
The real train wreck is Amtrak itself—–a colossal waste of taxpayer money and the very embodiment of what is wrong with state intervention in the free market economy.
Worse still, the pork barrel politics which drive its handouts from Uncle Sam virtually guarantee that as time goes on Amtrak will become an increasing hazard to public safety, as well.
...Amtrak accounts for well less than 1% of intercity passenger miles.
On every one of its 44 routes there are bus and air travel alternatives, and that is to say nothing of automobile travel —- in cars with drivers today or in the driverless kind tomorrow.
The cumulative taxpayer subsidy since 1972 totals more than $75 billion in dollars of today’s purchasing power.
During the span of nearly a half century, Amtrak has operated upwards of 40 routes that have never, ever made even an “operating profit”.
...its capital consumption expense amounts to about 25 cents per passenger mile.
So here’s the thing.
The average airline fare in the US is about 15 cents per passenger mile and the average bus fare is about 11 cents per mile..."
Read on!
On every one of its 44 routes there are bus and air travel alternatives, and that is to say nothing of automobile travel —- in cars with drivers today or in the driverless kind tomorrow.
The cumulative taxpayer subsidy since 1972 totals more than $75 billion in dollars of today’s purchasing power.
During the span of nearly a half century, Amtrak has operated upwards of 40 routes that have never, ever made even an “operating profit”.
...its capital consumption expense amounts to about 25 cents per passenger mile.
So here’s the thing.
The average airline fare in the US is about 15 cents per passenger mile and the average bus fare is about 11 cents per mile..."
Read on!
