Kotoden's other lines have roughly the same range in ridership: busy stops hitting 4 digits, quieter stops hitting 3 digits (some just 2!)
Is this enough for profitability in Boston? Unfortunately, no--for two crucial reasons, as far as I can tell.
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The first problem for Boston is that its network is much more extensive than Kotoden's, in terms of mileage--more costly to maintain!
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The second problem is that Kotoden is already a private company which owns its track, its stations, other real estate etc...
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...this gives it a flexibility that Boston doesn't have (for now). So--what WOULD be enough to make Boston's commuter rail profitable?
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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.
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Is that particularly likely? Depends on how commuter rail is improved. Would it be easy? Definitely not.
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But it is definitely possible, given the popularity of the existing system and the degree to which it can be improved.
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Anyway--that wraps it up for this investigation. Stay tuned for investigations of other lines, profitable and subsidized alike...
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...as we explore the boundaries of profitable ridership.
#TrainTwitter
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