[mjustice]

A really good NJ governor would pack the NJ transit board and demand its components be sold off to private investors. There are parts of NJ transit - certain lines - that could be profitable but that is not true for most of the system. Cut to only the most financially feasible lines, without needing to prop up the rest of the system, a private NJ transit could do as well as many airlines.

Why do you think any of the NJ Transit service is profitable? Even before the death of private railroads in the 60s, passenger service was subsidized by freight profits and mail contracts. Most routes today (save a few Amtrak runs in the Northeast corridor and elsewhere, like the new-ish Minneapolis-Chicago route) are not revenue positive.

I'm not certain that there are routes that are profitable... maybe some peak (i.e. rush-hour) trains.

[Wuli]

NJ Transit trains run the length of NJ and into and out of Penn Station in Manhattan. And just like the rest of the Northeast corridor AMTRAK (and other) lines, it has enough population density and potential ridership to be profitable - if it was on its own.

The same is true for AMTRAK and the other lines on the Northeast corridor - Boston to D.C.. They would be profitable lines on their own, but instead their revenue has to try to support all the other non-profitable lines the politicians - state and federal - demand be kept active.

NJ Transit has bus and train lines that should be scrapped. As a government/political entity the “elected officials” will not allow it. As a private company it could make fiscally responsible decisions - which would cut out any line - bus or train - that cannot support itself from the fares.