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by ZeroGravitas 1391 days ago
So I quite like trains and multi modal transport generally.

But if trucks are electric then it's not totally obvious to me that trains would win on cost or environmental factors despite the obvious advantage of tracks and direct electrification. They're already trialing overhead wires on some highways for electric trucks.

Luckily we don't need to choose between them anyway.

1 comments

> They're already trialing overhead wires on some highways for electric trucks.

Yes, and it's a bad idea. The friction between tarmac and rubber is orders of magnitude worse than steel on steel. Electrification alone doesn't solve the problem.

Even with that advantage, I think trains will have to work to maintain the upper hand, here's some things they should be looking into:

https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2017/sep/...