Time for a recap: how do profitable passenger railways work?https://twitter.com/380kmh/status/841677955562590208 …
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Think about that. We know, in America, that hotels, real estate, etc, are all financially viable and profitable businesses. Yet Japan shows us that you can get higher margins from transit--something we think is impossible!
What's the goal? "Stable, high profitability in our railway operations!" For every 3 households in their service area, they have 2 daily riders. Nice ratio--20 times higher than the equivalent for Boston's commuter rail!pic.twitter.com/9jlzA6loL2
When we look at the largest railway in Japan, the same principle holds up: transport provides a higher share of income (71%) than of revenue (68%)...pic.twitter.com/Yw8CEipSXa
...more of that revenue comes from ordinary ticket holders (occasional riders) than from pass holders (regular riders), and more of it comes from ordinary trains than from high speed rail--especially ordinary trains in the suburban/commuter networkpic.twitter.com/M49Q8UWPP7
30% of trips in Tokyo are made by transit--I'm not sure how much higher that share is if you focus on "trips to work," as is typical of mode share reports in the USA.pic.twitter.com/ILd9iVftEU
It's not in the USA, but Toronto has done very well when it comes to higher transit mode share *for commuting,* tho again, I wonder how this compares to overall travel. Remember, focus on the ENTIRE market, not just commuters!pic.twitter.com/nYcDRrskYv
How to stay in business once you're already making money? Raise demand, add value! Get more people to use your trains, and make it a better experience for them every time they come back:pic.twitter.com/lrsKwfsbd7
And finally: what do they use all that money for? East Japan Railway was formed during the privatization of the old national railway, so it still has to pay down its predecessor's debt--something I expect any American railways seeking profitability would also have to think about:pic.twitter.com/nEXGwfSqGj
Let's make it happen here, too! Don't let people trick you into thinking "for profit" is a bad thing when it comes to railways
#TrainTwitterpic.twitter.com/2zHTW7dN2V
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