Japan famously privatized it's trains/subways. They're now considered best in the world. They appear to have made it a positive feedback loop by letting the train companies own land and business near tracks so that over time, every station is a mini shopping center owned by the train company. Several train companies also run grocery stores at nearly every station. Some run office buildings, department stores, and apartments near the stations. All this means more riders and more riders = more customers for the other business.
This type of company owned adjacent property is not legal in most countries, as it is akin to riders largely existing in a company owned town where said company can extract significantly more rent from each rider than they otherwise would, distorting the market to hurt competition.
It doesn't seem to have hurt Japan and I'm not sure it's the same. The train company doesn't own the entire town so it's not remotely the same as "company owned town". Even if the train station owns a grocery store there are 4 others in the same neighborhood run by other companies. Same with office buildings, apartments, etc....
Also, regional ice cream sales in coastal areas correlate directly with shark attacks. Japan has the best because they see it as a first-class transportation system. America thinks public transit is a D-list expenditure, at best. Now we have D-list service quality, at best. Post-privatized UK bus systems, London aside, are a joke. Being public might not have changed that, but it sure didn't stop it. Boston's public transit is a joke, but improving. Same with their privatized regional rail service. The company took years to get enough snow removal equipment to not cancel dozens of trains in heavy snow. In Boston.
