They are profitable, just not in ways you can measure with money/capital. China depends on their massive rail network for social cohesion and connecting people

They are profitable, just not in ways you can measure with money/capital. China depends on their massive rail network for social cohesion and connecting people to the central government in Beijing. How much that has generated in industry growth is not something that can be independently measured. Likewise, in American areas with good rail transport, you see business boom around it. The net gain in commerce, sales tax revenue, etc. cannot easily be measured, but it's significant and American could benefit greatly with better rail transport. You'd see America begin to collapse in and become less spread out within less than 50 years (especially in urban spaces).