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[quote user="John WR"] The reason the idea of the private sector running Amtrak is ridiculous, Sam, is because if passenger service could be run at a profit the freight railroads would be doing it right now. There is nothing to prevent them from running passenger service on routes unserved by Amtrak and there are plenty of those routes.   I agree with you that there are "heaps of legitimate opinions."  But it seems to me that dismissing Amtrak as a "broken business model" is just a rather academic way of saying it is ridiculous. [/quote] Don't share your notions about private operators not being able to make money running passenger trains with the investors who are planning to do so in Italy, Florida, and Texas. They might give it up. Oh, since this subject came up, the Dallas Morning News had an article yesterday that a group of private investors are looking at the possibility of running a commuter service from Plano, Texas to DFW Airport. If a private operator can scope the service to meet the needs of people who are willing to pay for it, they might be able to make money running passenger trains. However, one thing is for sure. If they follow the Amtrak model, they will lose their shirts.   I don't share your likening a broken business model with ridiculous. A broken business model is a failed business model, i.e. one that over time has not been able to cover its costs. Ridiculous is pejorative.
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