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[quote user="schlimm"] These discussions are largely and endless go a rounds, fruitless and look increasingly silly because of the continuing dichotomous, all-or-nothing viewpoints, as well as some blurring as to what the mission of Amtrak or some other rail passenger service ought to be within the confines of what realistically will be available funding levels.  metaphoric analogies are given that have little relevance:  mass transit buses provide the homeless shelter as LD trains provide land cruises. Both are missing the mark.  As do the Titantic and lifeboat references.  And the heavy reliance of the Vision Report's questionable understanding of European rail along with the selective citation of Amtrak's system-wide (including LD) operating loss per passenger mile as though that had any bearing on corridor services takes us away from a realistic view the future, if any,  of US passenger rail. I believe we need to start with some shared assumptions. 1. Financial resources will be limited and comparisons with highway and air subsidies take us nowhere. 2. The purpose of passenger rail service, as it is understood elsewhere, is to provide competitive transportation between cities and towns as a viable alternative to highway and air over limited distances. 3. Others? [/quote] 4. All intercity routes should be open to competitive bidding. 5. All intercity routes should be required to cover their operating costs within five years of hand-off from the government or another operator. Routes that cannot cover their operating costs should be discontinued. 6. The per passenger mile subsidy for intercity passenger rail should be no greater than the corresponding per passenger mile subsidy for competitive modes of transport and/or vehicle miles traveled.  7. Ideally all transport subsidies should be removed over a reasonable period of time; however, it is not likely to happen, so subsidies for intercity passenger rail should be continued but at no greater unit rate than those funneled to competitive modes of transport.
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