Scott en Aztl‡n
I am not championing either. In fact I commute almost every work day on the Capitol Corridor, and Amtrak operated regional commuter train very much like southern Cal's Metrolink. I am glad it's there. The subsidy is nice, but I would still take the train if the fare doubled. It's worth it not to spend four hours a day in my car - even if it was a Corvette :)
In taxes, fees, and tolls directly levied on drivers and vehicle owners, you and I are paying far more of our share of the real cost driving when compared to subsidies in our train tickets.
While I am not sure who to believe, I have read that the subsidy for the Metrolink is as high as $30 per rider. The Cap Corridor is heavily subsidized too, even though it is the third busiest Amtrak route in the country. You and I ride our trains using discounted monthly pbuttes - meaning we are among the most heavily subsidized.
The train indeed costs me less than driving. But if there was no subsidy on either, the train would lose big time. Train subsidies are somewhere between 15 and 30 cents per mile per pbuttenger (depending on who you ask). If you or I are getting any subsidies to drive, it's a penny or two.
If I drove my entire commute, the gas cost *alone* would be about $400 a month. Add to that the maintenance and depreciation of putting 3,300 a month on my odometer. I pay $241 a month for my train pbutt. That's between 6 and 7 dollars per trip (one way) for me. If I paid the full $14 one-way fare, I am still subsidized.
