this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
474 points (95.2% liked)
Technology
59602 readers
3240 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It's worked just fine for the past century
For what? Trolleys?
Go look at the weight of an average coal train and remember that most of these railways go through some of the most criminal regions of the country with lots of burnable forest land running around the tracks
Just because the US never electrified it's train infrastructure after the obsoletion of the steam engine doesn't mean other folks didn't. Many trains straight up use their diesel engines as electric generators for electric motors. Electric cargo trains are cheaper to run than diesel, but the upfront cost is more expensive. Guess which option the non-state run train infrastructure of the United States chose. We're still seeing massive resistance from the train companies for doing it because they don't want to pay the cost.
For most trains in Europe. For example I can mention the Iron Ore Line in north Sweden which has 8600 trains. Which isn't as heavy as some of the coal or ore trains around the world, but it's at up to a 1% incline.