Fine point about subsidies, look how much we spend"under the table" to support airline infrastructure such as airports, traffic control, and help for the carriers in trouble. Then look at the billions spent on the highway bills... Need I say more the railroads and the passemger trains became a problem after they were left an uneven playing field by the governments support of all forms of transport other than rail prior to the early 70's. The government put the passenger trains into a death spiral with two things, One the interstate system making the private oil burning auto artificially cheap, and the by pulling the mail off all passenger trains. Look back and you will find thack the government MADEthe Amtrak problem by helping every other mode. If the playing field was made level again the Amtrak subsidies would decrease dramatically! It should however br noted that no rail passenger system was profitable in modern times, in any country. Germany just announced billions to be spent on a totally new rail line!