The role of the passenger train in the United States: A cost comparison of the common carriers |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Southern California, 2011 Zonal Ave, HMR 414, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;2. Department of Spine Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 415 Fengyang Rd, Shanghai, China;3. Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Health Sciences Campus, NRT G511, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;4. Division of Spine, Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China;5. Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration, Ministry of Education of the People''s Republic of China, Shanghai 200072, China;6. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, 1105 GNRF, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;7. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California, 2011 Zonal Ave, HMR 405A, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;8. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California, 2011 Zonal Ave, HMR 510A, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;9. Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, 2011 Zonal Ave, HMR 315, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;10. Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Southern California, 1520 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA |
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| Abstract: | The objective of this article is to establish whether the train has a role to play in the market for intercity passenger travel in the United States. To accomplish this objective, we compare the common carriers on the basis of thier cost effectiveness in moving a given flow of passengers between two points a specified distance apart. The comparisons are based on cost models which highlight the technological differences between the modes and eliminate distortions caused by public policy choices. By varying the size of the passenger flow and trip distance, we develop a notion of each common carrier's ideal operating environment. We find that the cost of the right-of-way is the major factor limiting the range of travel situations in which the train is cost competitive with the other common carriers. More specifically, our results indicate that Amtrak's service in the Northeast Corridor should be continued in the short run. In the long run, the possibility of upgrading Amtrak's service in the Northeast Corridor to high-speed service should be investigated. Outside the Northeast Corridor, we find that high-speed train service should be able to cover its operating costs but not its capital costs. |
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