Rail infrastructure can be expensive (especially when done as inefficiently as in the US) but the actual economics of running trains are fantastic. They're the

Rail infrastructure can be expensive (especially when done as inefficiently as in the US) but the actual economics of running trains are fantastic. They're the second-most efficient way of transporting goods and people - after marine shipping. A freight train can move 1 ton of cargo 480 miles using a single gallon of diesel. [1] Even city rail, Bart trains in SF average 249 miles per gallon equivalent. Not to mention you only need what - one or two people - manning a train carrying the average equivalent of 700 truckloads. Once you commit to putting it up, it's super cheap and efficient, which is why we do it. [1] https://www.aar.org/article/freight-rail-moving-miles-ahead-on-sustainability/ https://www.aar.org/article/freight-rail-moving-miles-ahead-... [2] https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/GreenSheet.pdf https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/GreenSheet.pdf