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[quote user="schlimm"] [quote user="blownout cylinder"]In these charged areas, one sees all kinds of splits/oppositions such as rural/urban, HSR/regular passenger, incremental/whole hog[/quote]  Very true.  Here there are folks with those three polarities and probably several others.  But all of those would like to see some plan for improving passenger rail in the US.  There are, however, several others who are basically opposed to any government investment in that area.  That is the division that is hard to bridge.  I still wonder why, feeling as strongly negative as they do, they continue to post in a forum that is "the place to discuss Amtrak, the future of passenger rail, and high speed proposals" according to the sponsors?[/quote] I am not aware of anyone posting to the Trains forums who does not see a legitimate role for passenger rail or believes the government should not be a player. I have said consistently that passenger rail can be a viable solution in high density, relatively short corridors where the cost of expanding the highway and airway systems is cost prohibitive.    Given the low probability that the capital required to enhance existing corridors or develop new ones would come from the private capital markets, one can make the case that the government should fund the infrastructure development, much as it did with the Interstate Highway System as well as other transport infrastructure.  But the users should cover the operating costs and, ideally, the infrastrucure cost or at least most of it. The dismal story for passenger rail around the world, as was pointed out by the GAO, amongst others, is that most passenger rail systems cannot cover their operating costs, without some creative accounting, let alone pay for the infrastructure.  And that is the rub for this writer.  Because if the users will not or cannot pay for the cost of the service that they use, then the taxpayers have to pick up the tab.
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