Amtrak Privatization Bill

[Filuwaúrdjan]

As a private citizen I would like to point out what happend to the railways in the U.K post-privatisation in the late 1990's.

And, bearing in mind the fact that we should really be trying to get more people to use public transport, is abolishing railway subsidies really a good idea?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The ameridcan situation is entirely different. THe tracks are owned by the respective companies, the ones that operate freight traffic, unlike it was in the UK, where they were owned by the state. AMTRAK simply has rights of way in them--except for the north atlantic route that they actually own the tracks, but that's AMTRAK's only profitable route. If passenger services are profitable, the companies that explore freight would simply open passenger routes there, like they had before AMTRAK.

Oh, I know that. I just don't think that the private train companies here have done a good job either.

(speaks the voice of a disgruntled user of Arriva trains. Whoever runs that company has got a special place reserved in hell, alongside Hitler, Stalin and so on).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If I was still a Senator, I'd suggest nationalising the entire railways industry.

Not that I would actually expect anyone here to support that.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

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Oh yes, of course. Could be paid for by cutting other things.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Reading through the bill again (and the recent amendent)... the only people who'll take any interest in buying this will be asset-strippers...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Why should the federal government be shedding money so that a couple of random farmers could have the option (that they don't particularly need nor want) to take the train into town every blue moon?

Maybe because we should actually try to get more people to use public transport?

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Profit is not, and should not, be the only thing that matters as far as public transport, or other public services, go.

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Why? Why not try to get more people to use them? Why not actually try to get less people using cars?

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If we assume that the rosy picture of privatization being good for the railways is correct, then the Government will end up making an awful loss on them.
And if (as is more likely) they go to a group of asset-strippers, the Government will be buying back something that is in an even worse shape (in just about every way) than it is at the moment.