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[quote user="schlimm"] [quote user="HarveyK400"]Could the higher proportion of labor expenses for Amtrak (48%) also represent lower expenses and greater efficiences in other areas?  It's clear that the much higher proportion of labor to revenue (72%) is due to overall deficit operations.[/quote]  When I cited those figures, i also wondered.  But the study Don cited, which I quoted from, makes it clear that salary expenses are high for Amtrak.  I believe wasteful operations on lightly used LD lines could/should be specifically subsidized in the same way as the FAA subsidizes the "essential service" routes in smaller cities in the West as a separate item.  That way, the existing/upgraded and new corridor services can have a fair chance at covering operating expenses as they already do in the NEC.  If you read those two studies, one thing that is embarrassing is the idea that in 40 years, the speed in the NEC, from Metroliners to Acela has only increased marginally.  Having services in the NEC run at a much higher speed was the original goal. [/quote] I think the goal should to stop subsidizing all forms of transportation and require the users to tote the note.  That would mean, amongst other things, getting rid of the long distance trains and the essential air services program, which is a boondoggle every bit as bad as the subsidization of the long distance trains. Subsidies mask the true cost of a service and result frequently in dysfunctional behavior, e.g. motorists buy gas guzzling vehicles or shun public transport because they don't see the true cost of driving at the pump.
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