Comment Re:Time (Score 1) 709
No, this is not really true either. While European railways as a whole often receive some form of subsidy, High-Speed passenger services between major cities in Europe are usually very profitable. It is the less-busy regional and commuter type services that tend to receive subsidies, because it is believed that there are economic and environmental benefits in doing so.
It is true that taking the train is sometimes more expensive than flying, but this is simply because rail can command higher fares because it is more convenient. If you can save a couple of hours (and, lets face it, a lot of hassle these days with security checks and such), by taking the train then most people will.
- Booming passenger numbers drive record revenues at Virgin Trains http://mediaroom.virgintrains.co.uk/2011/08/booming-passenger-numbers-drive-record.html
- SNCF: Net profit of €588 million http://www.sncf.com/Finance/pdf/en/CP_et_Presentations/SNCF_group_HY2011_Results.pdf
- Deutsche Bahn Revenue, Profit Surged in 2010 http://www.joc.com/logistics-economy/deutsche-bahn-revenue-profit-surged-2010