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In US, passenger rail is subsidized, but freight rail is not. Freight rail in the US is a healthy industry, with steady revenues and profits.
by xyzzyz 5y ago
In US, passenger rail is subsidized, but freight rail is not. Freight rail in the US is a healthy industry, with steady revenues and profits.
- TylerE 5y agoThe original construction of the rail lines in the 19th century was heavily subsidized (free land, etc).
- bobthepanda 5y agoBut ongoing maintenance is not, and the same does not hold for highway maintenance. In fact, railroads pay property taxes in some states, so they actually bear even more cost than competing modes of transportation.
- WalterBright 5y agoThe rail lines were obliged to in return carry the mail for free. That turned out to be a darned good deal for the government.