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In America, we are willing to do anything to avoid expanding or upgrading our rail infrastructure.

AlotOfReading 1y ago
The biggest problems with American rail infrastructure are related to passenger service. The US has one of the largest freight rail systems in the world by whatever metric you want to use: total miles (#1), annual tonnage (#2), ton mileage (#3) or modal share (#7). In any case, semis occupy a largely separate mode of transportation that aren't cost competitive with freight rail where it's viable. Autonomous semis are competing mainly with the limitations of human drivers, not freight rail.
- sien 1y ago
  To reinforce this, an article about how the US has a world leading freight rail system. https://www.marketurbanist.com/blog/why-americas-freight-train-system-is-the-worlds-best https://www.marketurbanist.com/blog/why-americas-freight-tra...
- potato3732842 1y ago
  >mainly with the limitations of human drivers, not freight rail. Which are regulatory more than technical at this point and could change overnight. Obviously drivers need to sleep but the tech to make doubles and perhaps even triples workable exists but isn't worth deploying because our regulations are stuck in 1980.
guywithahat 1y ago
The US already has the largest freight rail system in the world, there are just things rail can’t do
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
sunflowerfly 1y ago
Create a hub and spoke system with automated container sorting at the hubs. Basically build a national rail distribution system that works like a modern distribution warehouse. Long haul trucking should not exist.
deadbabe 1y ago
This is a good thing IMO, it’s too late to play catch up with rail infrastructure, we should just skip to the next big thing and let the rest of the world have their antiquated rail structures.
- digdugdirk 1y ago
  ... The next big thing is rail. Until we figure out energy-efficient levitation, rail is the most efficient way to move mass at speed. That's the ideal end-state.
adrr 1y ago
We run the largest freight rail in the world and ship more stuff via train than any other nation. BNSF Railway's revenue is $24 billion a year. Same with Union Pacific. They dwarf the major truck freight companies like Fedex Freight or Knight-Swift.

The biggest problems with American rail infrastructure are related to passenger service. The US has one of the largest freight rail systems in the world by whatever metric you want to use: total miles (#1), annual tonnage (#2), ton mileage (#3) or modal share (#7). In any case, semis occupy a largely separate mode of transportation that aren't cost competitive with freight rail where it's viable. Autonomous semis are competing mainly with the limitations of human drivers, not freight rail.

sien 1y ago
To reinforce this, an article about how the US has a world leading freight rail system. https://www.marketurbanist.com/blog/why-americas-freight-train-system-is-the-worlds-best https://www.marketurbanist.com/blog/why-americas-freight-tra...
potato3732842 1y ago
>mainly with the limitations of human drivers, not freight rail. Which are regulatory more than technical at this point and could change overnight. Obviously drivers need to sleep but the tech to make doubles and perhaps even triples workable exists but isn't worth deploying because our regulations are stuck in 1980.

guywithahat 1y ago

The US already has the largest freight rail system in the world, there are just things rail can’t do

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

sunflowerfly 1y ago

Create a hub and spoke system with automated container sorting at the hubs. Basically build a national rail distribution system that works like a modern distribution warehouse. Long haul trucking should not exist.

deadbabe 1y ago

This is a good thing IMO, it’s too late to play catch up with rail infrastructure, we should just skip to the next big thing and let the rest of the world have their antiquated rail structures.

digdugdirk 1y ago
... The next big thing is rail. Until we figure out energy-efficient levitation, rail is the most efficient way to move mass at speed. That's the ideal end-state.

adrr 1y ago

We run the largest freight rail in the world and ship more stuff via train than any other nation. BNSF Railway's revenue is $24 billion a year. Same with Union Pacific. They dwarf the major truck freight companies like Fedex Freight or Knight-Swift.