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I've never had any issues with Amtrak's service. People forget that they're second-class citizens to freight on the track, so they're usually not to blame for b

I've never had any issues with Amtrak's service. People forget that they're second-class citizens to freight on the track, so they're usually not to blame for being late and they're held back by the infrastructure, which is designed, owned, and maintained by freight companies. I know it's accepted in the HN community to be down on government monopolies, but a quick glance at the privatization disaster of British Rail should be enough to convince even die-hard free market advocates that there's a place for Amtrak. It may not be efficient per se, but a democratically-accountable monopoly is certainly the most efficient model I've seen for passenger rail.

Inconel 10y ago
I'm not at all discounting your point, but isn't Japan's rail system made up of various private rail companies? Or are those quasi governmental?
- monodeldiablo 10y ago
  I believe it's half-and-half. I think they fully privatized the JR regions that earn decent profits, but the government subsidizes/operates the less profitable regions. I honestly don't know much about it, though.
- oftenwrong 10y ago
  It's "all of the above". Private, public, and quasi-governmental (public-private partnerships). The "public" side can be at any level: national, prefectural, municipal, etc.
arprocter 10y ago
Say what you will about BR privatization, but this[0] goes from London to Manchester in 2 hours (takes about 3 by road if you really push it on the M6 toll and M40). They also serve (overpriced) beer. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_390 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_390
- monodeldiablo 10y ago
  The British government still owns the rails and prioritizes passenger service, though, unlike the US. NR bought it back after Railtrack folded, if memory serves. If Amtrak owned the rails and leased to freight, instead of the other way round, I imagine it'd have a similar level of service. As things stand, there's zero incentive for the track owners (freight companies) to update the lines for speeds higher than they can cheaply ship at. FWIW, I live in Croatia and even we have tilting trains these days. It's downright embarrassing that the US is so far behind.
  - gozur88 10y ago
    The basic problem with the US rail network is it's optimized for freight, especially outside the Eastern corridor. Who owns and maintains the network is probably less important than where it goes and the fact so many lines are single-track. If we wanted to put in a decent passenger rail network we're almost starting from scratch even using conventional trains.

Inconel 10y ago

I'm not at all discounting your point, but isn't Japan's rail system made up of various private rail companies? Or are those quasi governmental?

monodeldiablo 10y ago
I believe it's half-and-half. I think they fully privatized the JR regions that earn decent profits, but the government subsidizes/operates the less profitable regions. I honestly don't know much about it, though.
oftenwrong 10y ago
It's "all of the above". Private, public, and quasi-governmental (public-private partnerships). The "public" side can be at any level: national, prefectural, municipal, etc.

arprocter 10y ago

Say what you will about BR privatization, but this[0] goes from London to Manchester in 2 hours (takes about 3 by road if you really push it on the M6 toll and M40). They also serve (overpriced) beer. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_390 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_390

monodeldiablo 10y ago
The British government still owns the rails and prioritizes passenger service, though, unlike the US. NR bought it back after Railtrack folded, if memory serves. If Amtrak owned the rails and leased to freight, instead of the other way round, I imagine it'd have a similar level of service. As things stand, there's zero incentive for the track owners (freight companies) to update the lines for speeds higher than they can cheaply ship at. FWIW, I live in Croatia and even we have tilting trains these days. It's downright embarrassing that the US is so far behind.
- gozur88 10y ago
  The basic problem with the US rail network is it's optimized for freight, especially outside the Eastern corridor. Who owns and maintains the network is probably less important than where it goes and the fact so many lines are single-track. If we wanted to put in a decent passenger rail network we're almost starting from scratch even using conventional trains.