You, I, and most Americans know that passenger rail service died out in the 1960s. Only little boys who like playing with toy trains, fools, and liberals believe that passenger trains can be resurrected from the dead, becoming profitable and taking their place as a large part of the nation’s transportation network.
So what is Joe Biden doing proposing that we spend $8.2 billion on 10 passenger rail projects around the country?
It’s not that trains aren’t really cool and can be a pleasant way to travel. It’s that without huge subsidies, no one could afford to ride. And even with those subsidies, Amtrak, the nation’s only national rail carrier, loses a billion dollars a year,
It’s not just Amtrak. Municipal rail systems in big cities are losing money hand over fist. A Brookings Institute study found on average, commuter rail systems lose about $1 for every passenger trip.
The federal government has invested billions in a high-speed rail system in California. It’s already years behind schedule and monstrously over budget. The new funding will be spent on 10 rail projects, including $3.5 billion for a Las Vegas line running from Sin City to just outside of…
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