Yeah, but electrifying rail didn’t require technological innovation the way batteries capable of long-haul trucking did. We could’ve had electric rail freight decades ago if the political will had been there.
We did, check out the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension. About 2/3rds of the rail line between Chicago and Seattle was electrified from roughly the 30’s until the 70’s. It was slated to be closed down in 1973 and the oil crisis gave it another year or so.
It was always profitable, but the Milwaukee Road execs didn’t understand it, and didn’t like that it was different from the rest of the network using diesel. Real disappointing stuff.
Yeah, but electrifying rail didn’t require technological innovation the way batteries capable of long-haul trucking did. We could’ve had electric rail freight decades ago if the political will had been there.
We did, check out the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension. About 2/3rds of the rail line between Chicago and Seattle was electrified from roughly the 30’s until the 70’s. It was slated to be closed down in 1973 and the oil crisis gave it another year or so.
It was always profitable, but the Milwaukee Road execs didn’t understand it, and didn’t like that it was different from the rest of the network using diesel. Real disappointing stuff.