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[quote user="CSSHEGEWISCH"] Southern and Rio Grande did run excellent trains before they finally tossed in the towel but they also ate a lot of losses before turning over their passenger operations to Amtrak. [/quote] The Southern and Rio Grande trains were essentially long distance trains, although the Rio Grande train was a coach only train with a dome car and dinner from Denver to Salt Lake City.  I rode it several times as well as the Crescent from New York to Atlanta when it was operated by the Southern Railway. Not in my wildest dreams do I believe that a private operator can make money or even cover its costs outside of relatively short, high density corridors.  The proposed private operations (Italy and southern Florida) are targeted for relatively short, high density corridors where passengers trains make some sense. Let the market decide.  If there is a demand for the service, it will thrive.  If the demand for the service is insufficient, it will wither, which it should. One numerous postings I have argued again subsidies for all modes of transport. Not just passenger rail! If the subsidies were removed, which is unlikely because of the politics and not the economics, and everyone was placed on the level playing field, the best technology, management, etc. would win out. But the ultimate winner would be the taxpayer, who would no longer be required to subsidize a transport service that he or she does not use. No, transport services are not the same as defense, education, security, etc.
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