[dffdsa432]

The USA's rail lines are privatized and they're anything but "shitty" and "expensive" considering they're lower cost than trucking.

[ben_w]

My experience of American railways as a tourist is having to show my passport to book a ticket from Davis to Sacramento (I assume I also did that on other trips like to SFO but don't remember), and it being expensive.

My experience in the UK and Germany is show up, pay, go, and it being cheaper.

[dffdsa432]

US consumer rail way is a quasi public corporation (Amtrak) that has lost money for decades and is still funded to the tune of over $1 billion per year. You are confusing that with private US rails.

[lostlogin]

US rail has been in the news lately, with apocalyptic skies and chemical rain. Safety issues abound. What are you seeing that I don’t?

[dffdsa432]

There are 3 million rail cars moved per day that haven't produced apocalyptic skies and chemical rain. You misrepresent the overall safety of private rail lines.

[ClumsyPilot]

US rail is okau for cargo, but there are third world countries with better passenger services.

[giaour]

We're talking about passenger rail here, not cargo. Amtrak has a legally mandated monopoly, so you can only compete with them by building your own rails or using a different travel mode (e.g., bus or air).

If you find their service to be good and cheap, I can only assume you've never ridden a train in Europe.