There was a discussion on this (rail freight) recently.
My thinking is that the biggest overhead to using rail for freight is
the "last mile" at each end. In some cases, dock facilities load
directly on rail cars but, even so, the cars need to be assembled into
trains, which is a big operation since not all the containers being
unloaded will go in the same train. At the other end, semi tractors need
to pick up the trailers as they are unloaded. That's also not easy
because either there has to be numerous terminals, which means eithre
the train needs to stop and some segments dropped off or the terminal
could be hundreds of miles from the final destinations.
The solution I proposed (which, I admit, is complicated problems to
solve) is to allow semi trucks & trailers to drive directly on rails.
You can imagine a tractor and trailer that has a rail "truck" the drops
down and engages with the rails. A "train" can be assembled on a spur
and when a long enough group has been formed, start the journey. When
dropping off, the train would have to pull into a siding and stop to
allow certain tractor-trailers to drive off. Then the train could resume
to the next stop.
This solution requires no switching. Trucks simply drive onto the rails,
drop wheels, wait, then go. And the opposite when at their destination.
Much of this could be done without drivers. Just some electronics and a
manned vehicle at the head. The "last mile" segments would currently
need drivers.
The one big advantage rail has over trucking is low rolling resistance.
Having a convoy of trucks on the freeway would gain some improvement in
air drag, but nothing in rolling resistance. Putting tractor-trailers on
rail could gain both.
The biggest resistance to this, I predict, will come from the railroad
operators. It completely changes the way they operate and would
potentially create a traffic congestion situation with the fact that
semis only carry single-tall containers, where they can be stacked
double on rail cars. That means more trains for the same amount of
freight. Couple that with more freight on rails.
Peri
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------ Original Message ------
From: "Paul Wallace via EV" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
To: ev@lists.evdl.org
Cc: "Paul Wallace" <ianau...@peak.org>
Sent: 10-Apr-21 8:27:19 AM
Subject: [EVDL] Does the Biden infrastructure proposal include rail
electrification?
I’ve been amused with all this work going into autonomous trucking, but I
wonder if the money and energy wouldn’t be better spent with serious upgrades
to freight rail service, including long haul electrification. Much of what I
hear and see with the vision of trucking is that eventually, the trucks will be
able to run nose to tail in trains on the highway. For regional delivery this
may make sense, but I think that if the freight rail system was seriously
upgraded and electrified, large amounts of material could be moved across the
country relatively quickly. Not as quickly as with planes, but the
environmental cost of jet aircraft is very high. Each rail car can carry at
least 4 freight containers of material whereas now, each semi truck can move at
most one. In addition, there is no competition for right of way on the rails,
no pesky cars making unpredictable maneuvers to try to go faster than the flow.
The Biden proposal is focused on passenger rail as far as I can tell. Is there
any mention of electrification expansion in the proposal, or is it sticking
with diesel electric locomotives except where the line is electrified already?
Electric locomotives should pay back in terms of maintenance costs the same as
EVs. Electric busses, trackless trolleys, I think are a good indicator of
this. Just removing the Diesel engine and supplying the electricity to the
motors from a third rail or catenary overhead has been proven to be reliable.
Paul
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