this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
130 points (100.0% liked)
Boston, MA
1093 readers
1 users here now
Welcome to c/boston,
A community for all things related to Boston, Massachusetts. Whether you're a local, a visitor, or just interested in the city, this is the place to discuss, share, and connect with fellow Bostonians.
Greater Boston area discussion is welcome here.
Rules:
Be respectful: Treat others with respect and courtesy. Personal attacks, trolling, and harassment will not be tolerated.
Stay on topic: Keep discussions relevant to Boston and its surrounding areas.
Official City of Boston Website
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Building an entirely new rail high speed rail network would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions, with a construction time measured in decades and a repayment time of a century, if ever, because passenger rail is very low margin.
In our modern economy where quarterly results are the only thing that matter there is no company that will make that investment.
Who the fuck cares about "repayment?" Government services are supposed to provide societal good and compensate for market failures, not turn a profit.
I think it should be fully publicly owned, but OP said investors should get together to compete with Amtrak, and those investors ostensibly want repaid.
No, I meant amtrak can invest in itself. Taxpayer money shouldn't be used to enrich corporations. Unless we're buying shares and getting some control, perhaps.
You do know Amtrak is not a private company, right?
https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Cantwell-Railway-Age-North-American-Rail-Supply-and-China-3.jpg
Yes, when you're a communist government and don't have to pay people for rights-of-way and don't need to worry about profit and don't need to worry about where the money is coming from you can do things very quickly.
We do not have those advantages.