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> Building more freight rail and electrifying it is another option for (some) long haul transport that isn't discussed enough. Most are, it's just that the ele
by HumblyTossed 3y ago
> Building more freight rail and electrifying it is another option for (some) long haul transport that isn't discussed enough.
Most are, it's just that the electric part is generated by a diesel engine. That being said, they're already several times more efficient per ton than a semi is.
- TremendousJudge 3y ago>it's just that the electric part is generated by a diesel engine while technically correct, not a useful observation
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- flextheruler 3y agoWhat’s the proposition to “electrify” trains? Batteries or a live wire everywhere there’s train tracks? Both seem really inefficient to me with our current technology.
- TremendousJudge 3y agoYes, around the world electric freight locomotives are powered by overhead lines, and more occasionally by a third rail. It is a mature technology and the US is an exception among industrialized countries (China, all of Europe, Russia, Australia, Japan, etc) in that they use only diesel for freight.