How does this compare with Boston? First, a quick disclaimer: Boston's commuter rail ridership only counts *inbound* boards...
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.
#TrainTwitter
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
(sprawl strikes again!)
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.