Amtrak Costs & Subsidies Compared to
Air Fares and Car Rentals

Long Distance: One Way                
Route   Rail Miles Average Cost: 1997 Average Air Fare: 1997 Ratio of Amtrak Cost to Air Fare Amtrak Subsidy Ratio of Amtrak Subsidy to Air Fare Car Rental & Gasoline: 7 Days Ratio of Amtrak Subsidy to Car Rental
Chicago New York 934 $376 $205 1.83 ($218) 1.06 $237 0.92
Chicago Washington 848 $402 $205 1.96 ($257) 1.25 $232 1.11
Chicago New Orleans 934 $342 $161 2.13 ($219) 1.36 $237 0.92
Chicago Seattle 2,206 $603 $262 2.30 ($328) 1.25 $317 1.04
Chicago San Antonio 1,308 $474 $205 2.31 ($316) 1.54 $260 1.21
Chicago San Francisco 2,428 $726 $309 2.35 ($401) 1.30 $330 1.22
New York New Orleans 1,380 $596 $240 2.48 ($364) 1.51 $265 1.37
New York Miami 1,115 $450 $171 2.63 ($273) 1.60 $248 1.10
Chicago Los Angeles 2,246 $723 $257 2.81 ($346) 1.35 $319 1.08
Los Angeles New Orleans 1,990 $714 $207 3.45 ($489) 2.36 $303 1.61
Los Angeles Seattle 1,389 $463 $120 3.86 ($272) 2.27 $265 1.03
Average     $534 $213 2.51 ($321) 1.51 $274 1.17
Note: Car rental assumed at Chicago O'Hare rates (economy car) plus 20 percent for airport fees and taxes.  
                   
"Air Substitution" Corridors: One Way              
Route   Rail Miles Average Cost: 1997 Average Air Fare: 1997 Ratio of Amtrak Cost to Air Fare Amtrak Subsidy Ratio of Amtrak Subsidy to Air Fare One-Half Cost of Car Rental & Gasoline Ratio of Amtrak Subsidy to Car Rental
Seattle Portland 186 $72 $97 0.74 ($31) 0.32 $38 0.81
New York Washington 225 $100 $133 0.75 ($40) 0.30 $40 0.98
New York Boston 231 $103 $133 0.77 ($41) 0.31 $41 0.99
New York Washington 225 $123 $133 0.93 $7 -0.05 $40 -0.18
Los Angeles San Diego 129 $63 $50 1.27 ($31) 0.62 $34 0.90
Chicago Detroit 281 $126 $82 1.54 ($92) 1.12 $44 2.08
Chicago St. Louis 282 $160 $76 2.10 ($101) 1.33 $44 2.30
New York Buffalo 535 $209 $99 2.11 ($106) 0.00 $60 1.77
St. Louis Kansas City 281 $129 $57 2.27 ($62) 1.09 $44 1.41
Average     $121 $96 1.26 ($25) 0.44 $43 0.58
Note: Car rental assumed at Chicago O'Hare rates (economy car) plus 20 percent for airport fees and taxes.  
                   
"Automobile Substitution" Corridors: One Way            
Route   Rail Miles Average Cost: 1997 One-Half Cost of Car Rental & Gasoline Ratio of Amtrak Cost to Car Rental Amtrak Subsidy Ratio of Amtrak Subsidy to Car Rental    
Oakland Sacramento 89 $47 $32 1.46 ($16) 0.50    
Philadephia Harrisburg 104 $56 $33 1.72 ($30) 0.91    
Oakland Fresno 204 $76 $39 1.95 ($14) 0.37    
Chicago Milwaukee 86 $79 $32 2.50 ($52) 1.65    
Average     $65 $34 1.91 ($31) 0.97    
                   
Calculated from route data for 1997 as reported by the US Government Accounting Office. Air fare data for 1997, except for New York Buffalo (2000), which was not reported in 1997.

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