how are cars any more efficient than trains? all they bring is rush hour, greater combined fuel usage (a hundred cars carrying 500 passengers takes more space and fuel than a train carrying 500 passengers), and in many cases leave no alternative to the people without a driver's license. it was the train that allowed abraham lincoln to win the civil war. in the past 200 years, the main reason the country exists is because of the railroad and the economy that the railroads built. why else do large cities like Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Denver sprawl about? nowadays the government subsidizes every form of passenger transportation:
WikiLeaks found out that major airlines in the US were subsidized
The Obama Administration bailed out to General Motors, the largest car producer in america.
The government subsidizes the oil companies to help gas for cars be cheaper.
Freeways are owned by the government (they have to be) and cost loads in taxpayer money
the smallest subsidies go to amtrak (not that it needs more money, but it's the cheapest compared to the others) because of its long-distance services. if amtrak only operated the northeast corridor, it would be making a massive profit.
if you go to an american city with a population greater than 6000 and with grid-like streets, i assure you there's a set of tracks within the center of that city that once held passenger service.
