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The United States ranks low among industrial nations in terms of its
spending on rail spending -- both in whole terms and per capita.
Population density is not entirely a determining factor -- on the chart
below, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Canada all spend more than the U.S.
per capita, yet have lower population densities. Estonia is slightly more
densely populated than the U.S., yet invests over twice as much in rail
per capita. Some states in the U.S. have population densities closer to
that of some of the other countries.
Even as a society, you get what you pay for. Is it any wonder that the
passenger rail system in the U.S. is so skeletal compared to other countries?
Selected Countries, US Dollars, 1999
Capital and Operating Support from Governments to Major National
Railways
| Belgium |
834.39
|
Norway |
24.92
|
Poland |
3.13
|
| Austria |
117.30
|
Spain |
22.76
|
South Korea |
3.11
|
| Switzerland |
162.65
|
Hungary |
21.06
|
Turkey |
1.55
|
| Luxembourg |
160.69
|
Czech Republic |
20.08
|
Portugal |
1.48
|
| France |
67.66
|
Germany |
18.60
|
Saudi Arabia |
0.82
|
| Slovenia |
46.98
|
Romania |
15.75
|
Cameroon |
0.23
|
| Italy |
46.09
|
Yugoslavia |
13.83
|
Algeria |
0.20
|
| Netherlands |
44.36
|
Estonia |
7.67
|
Senegal |
0.17
|
| Ireland |
43.75
|
Finland |
5.95
|
Chile |
0.17
|
| Sweden |
39.09
|
China |
5.21
|
Malaysia |
0.16
|
| Croatia |
37.40
|
Canada |
5.09
|
Taiwan |
0.15
|
| Britain |
36.98
|
United States |
3.28
|
Mali |
0.02
|
| Slovakia |
26.27
|
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Notes:
-
US spending includes 2000 federal appropriatons for the Federal
Railroad Administration (including for Amtrak and high-speed programs)
and state payments to Amtrak.
- Canada includes VIA Rail Canada only, for 2000.
- Information from 1998 for Sweden and Taiwan.
- Information from 1997 for Luxembourg, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal,
and Malaysia.
Sources:
- International Union of Railways (UIC), Paris, for spending
figures except:
-
United States, from appropriations information.
-
Canada, from Transport Canada.
-
Britain, from Department of Transport, Local Government,
and Regions.
-
China (includes infrastructure spending only), from International
Railway Journal.
-
Time Almanac (2000) for population figures.
-
Yahoo.com for exchange rates (March 19, 2002; historical
information from same source used where available).
Here is the same information in chart form, with countries ranked by
spending per capita (red bars, left scale). Note how population density
(blue line, right scale) has no discernable pattern -- meaning there is
no significant link between rail spending and population density, as some
maintain.
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