In Japan, in addition to public and quasi-public train companies, there are many private train and bus companies which are completely profitable with zero support from taxpayers. This won't work in non-densely-populated areas, but it's feasible in cities.
This article is a wall of words, but describes the details pretty well. The short version is that the private companies diversify their operations by buying land around (and above) their stations and developing it in conjunction with their train and bus lines.
This article is a wall of words, but describes the details pretty well. The short version is that the private companies diversify their operations by buying land around (and above) their stations and developing it in conjunction with their train and bus lines.
http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr10/f02_sai.html