[mentalgear]

Fun fact: DB (Germany public-private national rail company) has become one of the UK's biggest train service providers - even the Queen's train was under their service.

DB (Schenker) buys stakes in transportation all over the world - with German tax payer money: A fact that many Germans do not like given the very poor train service in their own country.

[luesterklemme]

DB Schenker was sold recently. So your point is not entirely correct anymore. Also yes, it did invest tax payer money but was profitable doing so.

[fransje26]

> DB Schenker was sold recently

Ah, the traditional privatize the profit, and nationalize the losses then. Great.

[woodpanel]

Just looked through DB's annual report. There's no mentioning of any passenger rail operations in UK. It's "just" DB Cargo. So I don't understand what this "fact" has anything to do with passenger transportation in Germany.

By the way, Cargo is the mode of operation where most profitable rail companies are. Hence the dualism of loss-incurring Amtrak and profitable North Amercian freight operators as well.

[ant6n]

DB Cargo is producing more losses than the other branches, i.e. passenger rail. It doesn’t generate profits like in the US (shorter trains, more single rail car traffic, shorter distances, infrastructure held up to higher standard thus more expensive, lower priority compared to passenger rail)

[woodpanel]

You're missing the point: it is still less loss incurring than passenger rail (and has been at least profitable sometimes, or in some markets).

[trelane]

> the very poor train service in [Germany]

Amtrak has entered the chat.

(It was originally scheduled to enter the chat at 2:42 AM, but was delayed until 6:01 AM.)

[ant6n]

3 hours, that’s not even a drlay.