Why U.S. rail travel is so expensive

[beijingwalker]

So clearly China can afford to make rail travel free. So my suggestion was a good one.

But China is not stupid, are you?

 

[VCheng]

But China is not stupid, are you?

So why not make public travel free, just like public health and public education? Nothing wrong with that, as you said earlier.

 

[beijingwalker]

What is NEW to you is OLD for us.

HSR is new, how much do you have?

So why not make public travel free, just like public health and public education? Nothing wrong with that, as you said earlier.

Cause that's stupid and not sustainable, China subsizes public services in a sustainable way, are you really that dumb not to see it?

 

[VCheng]

China subsizes public services in a sustainable way,

So how did it end up with a trillion dollar hole just from its railways?

 

[beijingwalker]

So how did it end up with a trillion dollar hole just from its railways?

A trillion to China is manageable and it's the money well spent, check out the deficit of US.

List of countries by government budget​

�

Rank	Country	Revenues	Expenditures	Surplus (or deficit)	Surplus percentage of GDP	Year
1	United States	5,923,829	9,818,534	−3,894,705	−18.73%	2020 est.

China

459,546

593,856

−134,310

−10.06%

2020 est.

 

[VCheng]

A trillion to China is manageable and it's the money well spent, check out the deficit of US.

Well, the US debt is perfectly manageable too.

 

[beijingwalker]

Well, the US debt is perfectly manageable too.

OK, So why you guys bring this debt thing up in the first place? you know China does everything for long term , do you? China never expects to make a profit through HSR itself, China cares more about what the potential massive benefits that HSR can bring to the local ecoomies and the whole country's supply chain, this is the great advantage of the Chinese government that US can never have. US government never set their sight beyond the next election.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

So only a trillion dollar hole and no more? Got it.

Money for a Mars habitat.

 

[beijingwalker]

Money for a Mars mission.

China never expects to make a profit through HSR itself, China cares more about what the potential massive benefits that HSR can bring to the local ecoomies and the whole country's supply chain, this is the great advantage of the Chinese government that US can never have. US government never set their sight beyond the next election.

 

[VCheng]

OK, So why you guys bring this debt thing up in the first place? you know China does everything for long term , do you? China never expects to make a profit through HSR itself, China cares more about what the potential massive benefits that HSR can bring to the local ecoomies and the whole country's supply chain, this is the great advantage of the Chinese government that US can never have. US government never set their sight beyond the next election.

So China government is far-sighted and US government is short-sighted? That must be a good thing for China. Rejoice!

Money for a Mars habitat.

We need a Chinese takeout on Mars to help the US Mars station, obviously.

 

[epebble]

Why U.S. rail travel is so expensive​

PUBLISHED WED, NOV 16 20228:00 AM EST

Amtrak’s Acela is the fastest passenger train in the Western Hemisphere, but tickets can be pricey.

Amtrak fares can vary dramatically in the Northeast, home of the most heavily used stretch of track in the railroad’s nationwide network, which also includes stops in Canada.

But tickets are often more expensive than plane tickets, despite flight times being much shorter than the typical train ride. Transportation researchers say Amtrak’s fares in the Northeast are higher than those for comparable systems.

Meanwhile, the federally owned and funded Amtrak has not made money in its five-decade history.

Ridership numbers and finances were strengthening before the coronavirus pandemic. A former executive said that in early 2020 the company was on its way to its first profitable year in its history. The pandemic tanked ridership and dashed those hopes.

But now Amtrak has reasons to be bullish about its future. In November 2021 the federal government allotted Amtrak $66 billion to upgrade equipment and repair and expand its network. Amtrak wants to increase ridership by 20 million annually, and expand into areas around the country with fast-growing populations but little passenger rail service. States such as Texas, Florida and Arizona are all prime candidates.

Why U.S. rail travel is so expensive

Train fares in the U.S. often cost more than flying and more than trains in other developed countries. That's because Amtrak has never made money.

www.cnbc.com

I have a question. Why is Air travel so expensive in China? If not, people would have liked to travel faster by air, especially long distances that may take more than 12 hours by train. Why didn't China focus on making air travel cheap and ubiquitous so that everybody can go wherever they want fast. I will give you a hint: It would have been cheaper than High Speed Rail (HSR).

 

[beijingwalker]

So China government is far-sighted and US government is short-sighted?

Is it even news for you?

I have a question. Why is Air travel so expensive in China?

Air travel is not expensive in China

non peak season, air fare is only one third of HSR
淡季机票价格"大跳水" 部分航线仅为高铁票价的三分之一

http://henan.china.com.cn/m/2021-11/01/content_41727135.html

 

[VCheng]

Is it even news for you?


Air travel is not expensive in China

Is that good for China?

 

[epebble]

Air travel is not expensive in China

Then why do people use trains? Don't they want to travel quicker?

 

[VCheng]

I will give you a hint: It would have been cheaper than High Speed Rail (HSR).

Another hint: China cannot afford enough airplanes and it cannot build enough of them itself. Rails are far easier.