Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
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Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#2This is rather obvious and has always been a major advantage of rail. The problem is the capital costs and real estate requirements of building the rail lines, especially when locations are far apart and there's already existing infrastructure that needs attention.
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#3Cycling is cleaner than any of them. So what?
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#4Once again, Americans are "discovering" things other civilized countries knew and implemented for a long time :)
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#5Cycling is cleaner than any of them. So what?
Not practical in the same space. What train or flight plans will you be canceling in favor of cycling?
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#6Once again, Americans are "discovering" things other civilized countries knew and implemented for a long time :)
I don't think anyone is "discovering" this.
The US has prioritized other modes of transport because the US had priorities beyond "how clean it is".
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#7This is rather obvious and has always been a major advantage of rail. The problem is the capital costs and real estate requirements of building the rail lines, especially when locations are far apart and there's already existing infrastructure that needs attention.
Yes, such as roads, which can be replaced or built over with rail almost always. (Including light rail like trams.)
The problem shared between both is lack of walkability. Not insoluble but requires more tunnels or overpasses.
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#8Most of the US freight rail system isn't electrified because the capital expenditures of doing so would be very large, and its return on investment in terms of direct monetary savings wouldn't materialize for many, many years. Since externalities aren't priced in, diesel-electric locomotives haul most trains in the US.
More passenger rail isn't really being built in the US, because the capital expenditures of doing so would be very large, and its return on investment in terms of direct monetary savings wouldn't materialize for many, many years. Since externalities aren't priced in, the responsibility for transportation is largely distributed to individuals, who make daily use of road vehicles on roads that the governments fund, and travel long-distance by commercial airlines that make use of airports that governments support.
Re: Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
#9This is rather obvious and has always been a major advantage of rail. The problem is the capital costs and real estate requirements of building the rail lines, especially when locations are far apart and there's already existing infrastructure that needs attention.
Yes, such as roads, which can be replaced or built over with rail almost always. (Including light rail like trams.) The problem shared between both is lack of walkability. Not insoluble but requires more tunnels or overpasses.
Never thought of that. Just replace the roads with rails. Remove redundant links in the highway network. Sounds like a job for a graph algorithm straight out of CS 261.