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[quote user="ComradeTaco"] Edit: To Paul's response to my post. First point: We're not debating over the rate of subsidy, only the merit. I can go run operating ratios for you if you want it, but there's no golden rate. (Personally, I think we should be aiming for intercity rail to have 100% operating cost recovery) Second Point: Please refer to the previous post of why Amtrak has a higher subsidy per mile. Third Point: Ignoring your snarky criticism, it's on a rouse by route basis. There are a massive number of metrics you can use to determine cost effectiveness.  Fourth Point: It isn't purely about reducing dependency in foreign oil. The goal of intercity trains is to provide fast,effective city center to center travel which takes up a minimal amount of space. Mind you, a quadruple track railway is slightly smaller than the width of a double-lane highway with Interstate Highway Standards. Hell, even stations can be fit in a small space, considering Penn Station handles 300,000 people daily in a basement. *However* Cars require prime massive streets, feeders and of course parking space. In some U.S. cities parking lots take over 1/3 all real estate. No number of hybrid cars will fix that. Fifth Point: Well it won't help the 38,000 people killed yearly in car accidents, and about 3 million injuries. In addition this,hybrids take take up a wonderful Rare Earth Element of which 90% of world reserves are in China, and 100% of production. It's name is Lanthanum. China has reduced it's exports of Lanthanum and is hiking prices.Lanthanum is also the only practical material to use in a car battery powerful enough  for a commercial automobile. [/quote] According to the Department of Transportation Annual Statistics Report for 2009, the latest year for verified numbers, 37,261 people lost their lives in highway related accidents.  Of these 14,587 were passenger car occupants, 10,784 were in light trucks, 5,290 were on motorcycles, 677 were in heavy trucks, 67 were on a bus, 4,378 were walking, 716 were riding a push bike, and the balance were other.   The Census Bureau has a slightly different number.  It shows 33,800 deaths within 30 days and 35,900 deaths within one year.  The cause of death one year after an accident would be somewhat difficult to pin down.   In any case, the average national highway fatality rate per 100 million miles has been declining. It was 1.1 in 2009 vs. 2.1 in 1990, and if I remember correctly, it was approximately 6.0 in 1960.  Driving has become a lot safer. Amtrak is a commercial enterprise.  The best measure of a commercial enterprise's cost effectiveness is whether it covers its costs out of the fare box.  Amtrak has never come close. Clearly, an effective passenger rail system can speed people from center city to center city, if they anchor a relatively short, high density corridor, faster than most other modes of transport.  And the rails take up a lot less room than highways.   But many of the arguments for passenger rail miss a key point.  Most Americans, at the end of the day, prefer to fly over long distances and use their car for short or medium travel.  In their car they can leave when they want, listen to their radio, not have to put up with fellow passengers screaming into a cell phone, set the temperature to their liking, etc.  And when they get where they are going they have their wheels with them.
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