DaasYochid: Actually, I concur with you- if you are taking the subway to go a long way to go to shul (which is the subject of Rav Goldschmidt sefer), it would be muttor if you don’t pay. As far as visiting your mother or a sick person, there is not immediate need to visit that person on Shabbos. Because of the “maris ayin” aspect, traveling on a train on Shabbos is quite different than using the escalator or the Shabbos elevator and one cannot draw any parallel between trains and escalators and Shabbos elevators.
As far as “zilzul” Shabbos, can you show me any sources pre-this generation of Poskim? Chutzpah or no chutzpah, it is a legitimate question and don’t you think it deserves an answer?