Right now, the federal government pays for Amtrak, along with a few ticket sales and whatnot. They got 66 billion dollars last year from the feds. Private companies simply couldn’t afford to run rail, it’s just not profitable when airlines and the highway system exist. Hell, the rail companies struggle to compete with trucks on freight.
kalkulat@lemmy.world 5 months ago
If it’s such a good idea, why aren’t the private RR companies getting together to ask that question? Questions like: who pays for it? what does ‘high speed mean’ (150mph average = about 20 hours), why transcontinenal (SF to NY is mostly EMPTY) and who’d benefit the most (not most of US).
Blamemeta@lemm.ee 5 months ago
tsonfeir@lemm.ee 5 months ago
I’m not sure the moderator of a right-wing propaganda community on lemm.ee is really the right person to be talking about out how something shouldn’t be because it isn’t “profitable” for private companies.
danc4498@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I think there would need to be a lot of public funding, and the amount of airline lobby money against this would make it impossible.
Good idea or not, it all comes down to money.