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this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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So I've worked in intermodal (port to train to truck) freight logistics. What you're missing here is that
"last mile delivery" is a substantial portion of logistics. Semi trucks generally do not take goods to anywhere but big-box stores. Box trucks do that.
intermodal is great, but even if we massively expended rail in the US, trucks would be needed to haul a majority of freight. Logistics deals are negotiated on narrow margins, sometimes down to individual dollars. It is a MASSIVE industry, and intermodal is only truly competitive with certain freight coming and going from certain places.
The Wal-Mart in Whitesburg KY is not ever going to have an intermodal station in it, but they still need food for the grocery store, parts for the hardware store, etc
It is a massive benefit to society to pursue driverless, electrical vehicles, for the logistics industry alone.
I think freight logistics is another topic though. (Last mile) Deliveries will likely stay on trucks and vans, simply because it isn't feasible to have tracks to everyone's house. Though increased usage of trains would probably still be cheaper and more efficient here.
My point of argument was related to personal travelling (getting to work, buying groceries, ...), as the comment I replied to discussed. Those are activities we could or should probably try to move onto rails or more generally public transport rather than trying to have the same number of cars but just electrified.
Though there might also be regional differences in feasibility. European cities tend to be much more built around public transport and walkable distances, making it much easier to adopt such measures than most of rest of the world (for various reasons).