Train vs Truck Freight; Passenger travel statistics includes planes

[Brando]

Surprising what you can learn with a few internet searches. Might start by searching the above title.

“America's rail system is the envy of the world, carrying more than six times as many ton-miles of freight each year as all of the EU-27 nations combined.” ... This compares with 500 ton-miles per person in the European Union and less than 170 ton-miles per person in Japan.
Nov 5, 2018

passenger trains US vs EU
Why the United States Has the Most-Advanced Rail System in the World - Master Resource

and another perspective
Why Passenger Trains Don’t Work in Europe

US and EU are different.
Calling US RailRoads envy of the world just seems wrong. Truth can be stranger than fiction. Careful what you measure.
IF you think US Freeway system is bad (as in needs repairs) take a hard look at US rail. Max speeds often 35 mph because of track conditions. Just take West Coast Amtrak to experience for yourself. Please comment on the condition of your Rail system.

Fact Sheet: High Speed Rail Development Worldwide | White Papers | EESI about 10 pages

Why would I suspect that corruption has anything to do with these transport systems?

NOTE: Distance between stops largely determines maximum speed or minimum travel times.
walk, bike, auto, bus, tram, subway, train, high speed train, maglev, hyperloop, plane. StarShip. Costs vary.

Surprising how much we read written by people who don't bother to research - as research is so easy today. Now finding truth is always another matter isn't it.

 

[SmartElectric]

I like rail because it's lower energy intensity to ship most goods, but oil isn't one of them...

Sadly, rail has expanded from Alberta to US due to pipeline restrictions forcing oil onto tanker cars:
CER - Canadian Crude Oil Exports by Rail - Monthly Data

Pipeline is generally safer and less energy intensive to ship oil.
Rail doesn't suffer from the decades of planning, permitting and construction inherent in scaling out pipelines.

Whereas shipping electrons around is pretty efficient.
Sigh.

 

[Brando]

I like rail because it's lower energy intensity to ship most goods, but oil isn't one of them...

Sadly, rail has expanded from Alberta to US due to pipeline restrictions forcing oil onto tanker cars:
CER - Canadian Crude Oil Exports by Rail - Monthly Data

Pipeline is generally safer and less energy intensive to ship oil.
Rail doesn't suffer from the decades of planning, permitting and construction inherent in scaling out pipelines.

Whereas shipping electrons around is pretty efficient.
Sigh.

production where you use it (solar) and storage
not transmitting electrons first goal -by far the cheapest, right?

Search Tony Seba - pick one of his lectures (disruption often in the titles of his talks/papers.

 

[SmartElectric]

Solar is awesome, only 10m away from my car, so the total distance the electrons had to travel to fuel my EV's.