[ghaff]

Intermodal logistics systems already use trains for quite a bit of the truly long distance travel in the US. (Probably less so in other areas.)

To your other point, yes, people are still needed for various purposes in the transport process. And that's sort of the issue. If at the end of the day, you need people available at various points, trying to automate past maybe some of the long haul highway sections (which probably has safety etc. benefits as well) doesn't really buy you a lot. Elaborate schemes of depots at highway exits and so forth have clearly diminishing returns.

You have similar but different considerations for automobiles. Unless you're truly going to have door to door in at least most conditions autonomy, automating long boring highway driving is really the big win even if it doesn't give urbanites in particular the personal chauffeur they want.

[rocqua]

If you can staff those few points close to where people live, that still has a massive potential impact on labour cost and employee retention.