What public good is provided by a route that takes 4 days to cross the country, isn’t scenic, and costs more than a plane? I’m not saying abolish trains. I’m saying abolish routes where the alternatives are better/cheaper/as fast or faster. Trains aren’t intrinsically a public good. They are good when the benefit to…

How does operating at a loss, not popular due to lack of flexibility and cost, and general lack of use not equate to go reasons to remove passenger service on that route?

There would be zero dismantling. Amtrak doesn’t own the rails on which it operates. They have ROW agreements with the various rail companies to use their lines.

And I gave you a route buses should replace, the Pennsylvanian. I also provided an example of a route that should be replaced by planes. Are you going to continue to disregard the fact that I answered your initial query of “give me just one train route” that should be replaced by bus?

Follow the conversation. I said buses for short routes and planes for long routes. Then I gave examples of both.

Americans seem to think so as they always opt for the cheapest, fastest travel solutions. Planes are another better option to cross country trains. That is why they are relevant you dolt. Explain to me why slower, publically funded trains, are better than faster, cheaper planes or equally fast, cheaper busses.…

California Zephyr - Chicago to LA - More expensive than planes and slower, operates at a loss.

Every passenger rail line that isn’t in California or the North East corridor. We don’t need train service across the entire country because planes are cheaper/faster, but for some reason we have routes that will take you from the East Coast to the West Coast. Every route that is a short distance in the Midwest is…

If by merged, you mean someone bought their planes, routes, and staff then removed everything that made it a superior customer experience, then yes, they merged.

So they can perpetually operate at a loss like Amtrak? Thus being subsidized even further by tax payers? Most of the Amtrak routes that lose money don’t serve a unique public good. They are glory projects for local legislators. The people could be equally or better served with a bus.

270 to to 70 to 76 to 81 to back roads will get you there in only 3 hours more.

Yeah, because local elections aren’t a thing that exist.

Right up until liberals realize they aren’t going in someone else’s neighborhood. Then everyone hates them.

Easy, the citizens of China don’t have any rights and you can’t stop the government from building when they decide to. In California, you just say environmental assessment and the project stops for years.

Regular trains already beat out air travel in terms of convenience in places where bullet trains would be useful. It is the Northeast Corridor and in some spots of California. Most other places are too long for it to be convenient, even a bullet train speeds.

Kristen, I’m listening, but it is always wheels first. Separate brush/sponge (which you got right), but you are likely using heavy duty cleaner that needs to soak in and you just let it soak while you then work top down.

Voting is for suckers. No one pays you to do that. Writing nonsense screeds on the interwebs, on the other hand, pays the fucking bills.

“Why is an armed agent of the state using violence to enforce a contract freely entered into by two private parties?”

Because they are irrationally good looking?

What goalposts? I’m just giving examples what you can do, in case you don’t agree with the current contractual agreement you engage in when you buy a ticket.