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Amtrak California sets ridership record
Fund it, build it make it worth riding and guess what people will ride it. And guess what it it’s cheaper then building freeways.
I noticed revenue went up a lot more than ridership. This likely indicates ticket prices have gone up. This should be improving the financial performance if costs are under control.
If there are more users, then the obvious solution to Amtrak’s continuous economic loss is to increase ticket prices until the market shows what it will bear. Of course this will never happen because socialists are terrified of free market economics and all other things that are too complicated for their understanding. Yet, the hot dog vendor, without the pseudo-intellectual education, at the ball game understands free market economics.
Of course passengers benefit from the service and pay accordingly. But an additional effect of good train service is to increase the value of land within the area served. Therefore it would make sense for landowners to pick up a proportional share of the cost. Because this isn’t done, general revenues are used. If California tried to fund the entire fully-allocated cost from fares, ridership would drop, the service probably wouldn’t survive, and land would be worth less.
How did I know, just by reading the silly goose’s name, the comments that followed would be a downer? The poor guy must have been hit by a train some time in his past. He sure is consistent in his outlook about everything!
I think a safe fell on top of Goosie’s head. As you can see, he parrots the same old gas.
We recently trained from Emeryville to Oceanside, over-nighting in Santa Barbara this past November. It occured on a Wednesday and Thursday and the trains were very busy. Total cost for two peple was about $ 200 one-way for the 600 mile trip. [Subsidized] pricing was obviously reasonable and although I would otherwise shun a benefit I don’t qualify for, I was happy from the standpoint of a love for trains and not having to drive through L.A. whilst seeing the countryside, ocean and cities of California in relaxed fashion and meeting several fine co-training Californians.