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I'll counter this with the success of Japan because the Japanese railway companies own all the land around the stations and lease it out to companies and improv
by mlindner 8y ago
I'll counter this with the success of Japan because the Japanese railway companies own all the land around the stations and lease it out to companies and improve that land because they own it.
- metildaa 8y agoNote that China also does this, and this is illegal in nearly every other country under anti-trust law. This happens to also be the only way to make passenger profitable, capturing the positive financial externality.
- kilotaras 8y agoCan you expand on that? "land around train stations" doesn't look as a market that should be subject to anti-trust laws.
- metildaa 8y agoMost countries view it as a monopolistic tactic akin to how railroads used to be the only buyer for produce & grain in many rural areas of the US, as they would refuse to sell space for bulk goods that they also traded in. Vertical integration is a strong force, especially when it comes to infrastructure.