Virtually all the railroad track between Anchorage and the MATSU is at or has a lower speed limit than the roads.  A train on that section of track will not get you there quicker. The diesel cars you mention came from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.  They were maintenance nightmares, not capable of speeds of modern locomotives and not suited for cold weather. It is a fact that every passenger service requires a subsidy (ie, operating costs above operating revenue). If customers had to shoulder operating costs through ticket prices there would be no passenger trains.  Seems to me that state support of the Alaska Railroad in whatever form benefits all citizens using railroad services.