Are bullet trains profitable?

Are bullet trains profitable? For example, most of the companies that run Japan's Shinkansen or bullet train lines operate at a profit, as do some fast trains on France's state-owned SNCF network.

Why won t america get bullet trains?

19th-century tunnels, century-old bridges On Amtrak's express Acela service between Boston and Washington, old tracks and overhead power lines will prevent the new high-speed cars from running at high speeds, said Scott Sherin, vice president of Alstom USA.

Is the British rail system good?

The UK was ranked eighth among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index for intensity of use, quality of service and safety performance.

How profitable is high-speed rail?

With the right commercial strategy, high-speed rail (HSR) routes can be profitable, with some lines achieving modal shares of up to 65%.

What is the most profitable bullet train?

In 2016 it was revealed, that last year the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway Company (BSHSRC) has total assets of ¥181.54 billion ($28 billion), revenue ¥23.42 billion ($3.6 billion) and a net profit ¥6.58 billion (US$1 billion), thus being labeled as the most profitable railway line in the world.

Is the UK rail industry growing?

Today, nearly 20 per cent of all European passenger journeys take place in the UK. This also makes the network the fastest growing in Europe. Rail passenger growth has outperformed population and employment growth and is double the rate of growth of GDP.

Is China bullet train profitable?

A 2019 World Bank study estimated the rate of economic return of China's high-speed rail network to be at 8 percent, which is well above the opportunity cost of capital in China for major long term infrastructure investments.

Is UK rail profitable?

For the 2021/22 financial year, Network Rail recorded a £324M pre-tax profit. That is down from the £1.6bn profit recorded in the previous financial year. The profit dip has been blamed on inflationary-related cost pressures, with revenue only dipping slightly from £9.61bn last year to £9.55bn this year.

How much is the UK rail industry worth?

New figures show that the UK's rail system: Contributes over £36bn annually to the UK economy (a greater economic impact than the food, drink and tobacco manufacturing and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries); Provides around 600,000 jobs (employing more people than the entire workforce of Birmingham);

Why are high speed rails bad?

Dedicated Infrastructure Is Wasted But high-speed rail lines can only move people, making them far less cost-effective. To save energy, high-speed rail cars are far lighter than conventional rail cars and cannot be safely used on the same tracks as frequent heavy freight trains.

Do UK rail companies make money?

Train companies at the heart of the long-running rail dispute have made hundreds of millions of pounds in profits since the Government put them on new contracts when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a union claims.

Are bullet trains cheaper than airplanes?

For short distances, flights are more expensive than bullet trains. Bullet trains, therefore, may be more expensive than flights for long distances.

Do Japanese bullet trains make money?

Passenger revenue of JR Central Shinkansen in Japan FY 2012-2021. In the fiscal year 2021, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) earned around 589.8 billion Japanese yen of revenues from its high-speed railway Shinkansen, increasing from roughly 417.3 trillion in the preceding year.

Why doesn t america use bullet trains?

Property rights. One of the most expensive parts of building new rail lines these days is securing land along a relatively straight path (you can't run trains at high speeds along too sharp a curve). The U.S. has strong property rights which makes securing land exceedingly expensive.

How much money is China losing on high-speed rail?

Wider Risks to the Chinese Economy In 2020, China Railway's final profit and loss statement recorded losses of ¥55 billion CNY (approx. ¥1.1 trillion JPY/ $7.9 billion USD), while in 2021, it was in the red by ¥49.8 billion CNY (approx. ¥1 trillion JPY/ $7.2 billion USD).