If car use and infrastructure wasn't so heavily subsidized, then trains would likely fare a lot better.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-05-18/the-secre...
>That's the most of any private railway in Japan, as of 2006, according to Calimente. That year Tokyu generated $2.63 billion in revenue en route to $587 million in profits. Rail fares brought in about a third of that figure, real estate holdings reap another third, and retail about a fifth.
Even in a highly managed economy, private or semi-private rail may be able to compete under the right circumstances.
This is predicated on foot traffic though. And American transit systems are, let’s say, not the most appealing. I do hope that it changes.
Whilst some are, there are also a lot that are right next to "downtown areas" with restaurants/bars/coffeeshops. Sunnyvale, Mt View, Palo Alto, Redwood City for examples.
Are you thinking just of the San Francisco terminus or the current "pre-Google development" San Jose Diridon terminus?
I used to take the train very often from sacramento to the bay area... It was clean, has wifi, quiet, power, drinks, food...
It was a great commute - but the prices are still too high...
The only problem that I have with Amtrak is their disconnect with modern pricing for value of service.
Case in point being a train ride from say SF to Seattle is WAY more expensive than a flight, many times longer and other than no plane crash risks... what value is it for that price?
I find it akin to the guy on a slow sunday morning drive on an impassable two-lane highway where his old restored 1938 ford only goes 45 mph and the speed limit is 65 and there are mad waitresses trying to make it to clock-in time and the old guy is oblivious to other's need to be to work on time...
(this is a true story based on a close friend of mine who works at the French Laundry and is constantly thwarted by oblivious slow drivers)
1) No TSA (at least when I last used it)
2) You can show up with a bicycle. They will provide a box and you pack it yourself. Your bicycle will not be molested.
3) You can get a private compartment and drink your own liquor
4) You like trains
So they weren't always so disconnected from modern pricing, but I don't think the effects of COVID have fully played out across all the transportation options yet to know what 2021+ prices should look like.
What you need to know to argue is, say, they're not losing all of the berths on a vehicle transport car if you want to move one car. They're having you pay the upkeep for that one trip which is not the same as the fully loaded vehicle car.
The auto trains that go across Europe are much narrower and take a lot longer to load and unload. They are pretty expensive and only used for very long distances. Most of the time it makes more sense to rent a car at your destination.
Normal bridgdes where? They fit perfectly fine on the French loading gauge (max train dimensions), but the British one is much smaller on most lines.