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Electrified freight rail has prevailed in Europe, but mostly because the European rail system is optimized for passenger travel which favors faster and shorter

Electrified freight rail has prevailed in Europe, but mostly because the European rail system is optimized for passenger travel which favors faster and shorter electric trains. America freight trains are several times longer than European freight trains, use double stacked containers (which don't fit under the wires Europe uses) and run slower. This makes them disruptive to passenger rail, but also more efficient. As a consequence of these factors, America moves a much greater percentage of its total freight tonnage by rail than Europe, which relies more on trucks. So in short, electric freight trains are not 'disruptive'; they don't compete with diesel freight trains unless you have enough political pressure to prioritize passenger trains above diesel freight trains.

Symbiote 4y ago
You need to consider sea and river transport if you compare Europe to the USA for freight. A big chunk of the bulk goods market (coal, stone/ore, grain) is moved by water in Europe: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Modal-Split-of-Freight-Transport-in-the-EU-the-USA-and-Japan_fig4_305589858 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Modal-Split-of-Freight-T... And India runs electric double-stack container trains, but of course it would be an enormous upgrade project to convert to this -- tunnels and bridges more than the wires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNq8lP6cfL4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNq8lP6cfL4
bluGill 4y ago
The US freight railways have priced wiring their rails. It is possible to do this, and double stacked containers are not a problem (except for a few bridges that are already borderline for being high enough). Problem is it is only worth it if you have every rail electrified, just a short section in some out of the way rarely used rail that isn't wired is enough that they have to have diesel locomotives everywhere just in case they want to send that train to the one unwired track. And so it doesn't pencil out until diesel gets substantially higher and remains there. That is according to the railroad. There are others who question the math, which is a valid thing to do, though I don't know who is right. In any case it is possible to wire all US freight, but so far nobody has done it.
- bombcar 4y ago
  Electrified rails don't prevent diesel locomotives rolling down them, so if it was cost effective right now to electrify the most active lines, they'd do it. So far, it is not.

Symbiote 4y ago

You need to consider sea and river transport if you compare Europe to the USA for freight. A big chunk of the bulk goods market (coal, stone/ore, grain) is moved by water in Europe: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Modal-Split-of-Freight-Transport-in-the-EU-the-USA-and-Japan_fig4_305589858 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Modal-Split-of-Freight-T... And India runs electric double-stack container trains, but of course it would be an enormous upgrade project to convert to this -- tunnels and bridges more than the wires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNq8lP6cfL4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNq8lP6cfL4

bluGill 4y ago

The US freight railways have priced wiring their rails. It is possible to do this, and double stacked containers are not a problem (except for a few bridges that are already borderline for being high enough). Problem is it is only worth it if you have every rail electrified, just a short section in some out of the way rarely used rail that isn't wired is enough that they have to have diesel locomotives everywhere just in case they want to send that train to the one unwired track. And so it doesn't pencil out until diesel gets substantially higher and remains there. That is according to the railroad. There are others who question the math, which is a valid thing to do, though I don't know who is right. In any case it is possible to wire all US freight, but so far nobody has done it.

bombcar 4y ago
Electrified rails don't prevent diesel locomotives rolling down them, so if it was cost effective right now to electrify the most active lines, they'd do it. So far, it is not.