Just reading the article about the real Acela express June MR mag, 1 million dollars a day in revenue? That must be alot of passengers!!
Are those figures correct?
Ken.
I would not doubt it. A couple of years ago I had to go to Boston on a business trip from Philadelphia. My company didn’t want to pay the cost of a flight from Philadelphia to Boston so I suggested the Acela (always wanted to try it anyway [:)]). Well I took the SEPTA (local regional rail) electric to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station where I got on the Acela to Boston - business class - real nice. They had tray tables in the seat backs and electric outlets for laptops and such. Also each business class car had small tables by the doors so a person with a laptop and paperwork could spread out. The trip to Boston wasn’t to crowded but the return trip was packed. My round-trip ticket was around $388 US and that was in like 2004.
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Brad
After doing some math, the $1 million per weekday sounds about right. There are 14 departures from New York to Washington and 14 in the reverse. If each departure has on average train carries 150 passengers and each pays an average $150 per ticket, then all of the New York to Washington trains would generate $630,000. (28 departures x 150 passengers x $150 = $630,000). Throw in the New York to Boston revenue and $1 million a day sounds reasonable.
But the important thing is, does it make a profit?
Alexander, its been widely reported on the Internet that no regular passenger carrying railroad, transit, in the world makes a profit. All transportation systems need subsidy to operate. Airlines, interstate buses are also not that well off.
David Harrison
Thanks for the replies, an interesting subject. Our local passenger trains just break even (just) If it wasn’t for the freight trains running, the lines would close.
Ken.
Actually, the Northeast Corridor trains, as well as the Capitol Corridor trains in California, DO make a profit. Despite the grumbles you hear about Amtrak, Amtrak has a better cost-recovery rate than any other country’s rail service, partially because only in the US are people so obsessed with the profitability of passenger rail.
Next time someone asks me if Amtrak is making a profit, ask them if their local police force makes a profit…or the fire department…or their school system!
I would think it is hard to say whether the Acela Express makes a profit or not. It’s easy to calculate the labor costs of the crew, maintainence of the trains themselves, electricity used and the ticket sales. What is harder to calculate is the track infrastructure, dispatching, etc since they are also being used by other Amtrak trains. I believe the Acela Express does generate the most reveue per passenger per mile traveled than all other passenger trains.