Perfectly obvious, your 100% right on this.
However, your original statement, to which I objected was "
Before we privatized CN/CP railroads were profitable. After we privatized CN/CP, they went to cut passenger service because it's not profitable." If what you meant here was what you just said above, then the problem is that what you wrote was not what you were trying to communicate.
Only because your communication was poor.
Historically, it was very profitable, until it got competition from cars and buses. I suppose we could always ban the internal combustion engine ... which would lead to profitability for VIA, and for our streetcar and subway services. At least for a few years until someone perfects an electric car ...