Ota (3913), Sanjo (2450), Ritsurin Koen (2740)...pic.twitter.com/J0f5m1uKY8
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Addressing these problems--switching from peak-heavy to all-day timetables, replacing locomotives with DMUs, etc--would boost ridership
Is the demand there? Given the overcrowding on *existing* commuter rail in Boston, I would assume so--people want more service!pic.twitter.com/vjSuTvJS7L
Is this enough for profitability in Boston? Unfortunately, no--for two crucial reasons, as far as I can tell.
The first problem for Boston is that its network is much more extensive than Kotoden's, in terms of mileage--more costly to maintain!
The second problem is that Kotoden is already a private company which owns its track, its stations, other real estate etc...
...this gives it a flexibility that Boston doesn't have (for now). So--what WOULD be enough to make Boston's commuter rail profitable?
Remember that we've been comparing Boston to a city 20% of its size. A five-fold increase in ridership is a crucial hurdle here.
Is that particularly likely? Depends on how commuter rail is improved. Would it be easy? Definitely not.
But it is definitely possible, given the popularity of the existing system and the degree to which it can be improved.
Anyway--that wraps it up for this investigation. Stay tuned for investigations of other lines, profitable and subsidized alike...
...as we explore the boundaries of profitable ridership.
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