I was totally serious. Train freight is vy far the most efficient land transportation mode (biased, but easy and not grossly wrong, source). On what basis do you judge it less energy efficient? I can believe it’s less good than pure freight due to moving the trucks too, but there’s such a huge efficiency gap I have a hard time believing it becomes entirely less efficient this way.
I believe lorries are not a sustainable solution, especially for long distance freight.
Rolling highways are energy inefficient, because the ratio of dead weight to payload is regularly over 50%. Rolling highways have some advantages though that keeps the railway relevant, even in disadvantageous subsidy regimes.
Low estimates are that rail is 3x more fuel efficient than trucks (I’ve seen as high as 9x). So, to be less efficient than lorries, rolling highways would have to be closer to 70% dead weight, right?
Incidentally, you and I appear to be the only people on Lemmy rn. I keep seeing you in other threads.
I was totally serious. Train freight is vy far the most efficient land transportation mode (biased, but easy and not grossly wrong, source). On what basis do you judge it less energy efficient? I can believe it’s less good than pure freight due to moving the trucks too, but there’s such a huge efficiency gap I have a hard time believing it becomes entirely less efficient this way.
I believe lorries are not a sustainable solution, especially for long distance freight.
Rolling highways are energy inefficient, because the ratio of dead weight to payload is regularly over 50%. Rolling highways have some advantages though that keeps the railway relevant, even in disadvantageous subsidy regimes.
Low estimates are that rail is 3x more fuel efficient than trucks (I’ve seen as high as 9x). So, to be less efficient than lorries, rolling highways would have to be closer to 70% dead weight, right?
Incidentally, you and I appear to be the only people on Lemmy rn. I keep seeing you in other threads.