Private operation of US passenger trains.

[blue streak 1]

For our USA idealists who think that contracting out passenger service will work.  It appears that the UK is finding a decline of interest of operating its passenger trains.

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/public-accounts-committee-warns-of-declining-interest-in-british-rail-franchises.html?channel=524

 

[schlimm]

You seem to have read a different article.   More about the process of bidding and number of bidders than quality.  Having ridden several of the British routes under different operators, the quality of servive there is better than here with few exceptions.  In 2014-15, 125.8 million passengers rode LD and regional trains vs Amtrak's ~30 million.  1.654 billion total, including short-haul and commuters.

[CMStPnP]

If I am not mistaken, there are private passenger train operators in Japan outside the big National HSR network.    Perhaps subsidized in part by the freight they carry but they are there.

[Buslist]

CMStPnP

If I am not mistaken, there are private passenger train operators in Japan outside the big National HSR network.    Perhaps subsidized in part by the freight they carry but they are there.

 

To my knowledge there are no private passenger train operators on the JR network of railways either on the standard gage or narrow gage portions except perhaps an occasional excursion train operation. There are however private railways. By my count 116 of them. They are vertically integrated operations, not many, if any, carry freight. (Freight is a money loosing operation in Japan. JRFreight is sort of the mirror image of Amtrak having trackage rights on the JR network but owning no main line track of its own). Some are Japanese narrow gage some standard gage (you have your choice of gage between Narita and central Tokyo -- the private railway is the standard gage one, and they just completed a cut off in their network to decrease travel time to and from the airport).

Many of the private railways are parts of larger groups (like G&W or Rail America for short lines). I'm not sure to what extent these operations get any subsidies from local governments but many are parts of larger real estate organizations and have some pretty fancy rolling stock. Others are more like interurbans operating rather classic equipment.

[CMStPnP]

Buslist

To my knowledge there are no private passenger train operators on the JR network of railways either on the standard gage or narrow gage portions except perhaps an occasional excursion train operation

I think the concept behind the nationalization of most of the railways under the JR umbrella originally was to fix a lot of money losing lines by combining with somewhat profitable HSR lines.     I don't know about the former JR network being open access yet so it is probably true there are no private operations on it.  

However, I watch this show on NHK (Japan TV) off and on concerning a Railway guy that just travels the country on the railway network, more than once he has boarded a privately run intercity passenger train outside the JR network.........that was run on a for profit basis.

An example to Google that you mentioned above:

Skyliner:  Tokyo - Narita Airport.

There are more point to point private rail passenger trains that are not mentioned though that I see on this TV show from time to time.

It is interesting to note that Japans Private Railway network was built using the FEC model of building the line and developing the real estate along it to support traffic on the rail line as well as the construction of the line.    The policy was encouraged by the Japanese government.    Interesting reading there perhaps Trains should do a issue on Japan's private network.  

Also interesting to note that US Capital funds hold some substantial ownership interests in these private railway lines.    One that lept off the page at me was Cerebus Capital.    If they can invest in a private railway line in Japan, surely if the same structure was used in the United States they would invest over here in a similar project. 

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

Not only real-estate, but manufacturers with factories, resorts, at least one hotel all own a rail line or several.  Whether the rail line makes money or is subsidized as valuable for the main business is probably different on a case-by-case basis.

[schlimm]

JNR went private in 1987.  Now JR Group (Japan Railways Group), which is composed of six regionals  + Japan Freight Railway.