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Is the US finally getting ‘all aboard’ with electric trains? (www.theverge.com)
submitted 11 months ago by Beaver@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] TheBest@midwest.social 105 points 11 months ago

"India is on the cusp of electrifying 100 percent of its rail lines, while China is nearing three-quarters of its network. Over 57 percent of the rail system in the European Union is electric. The US, which has historically prioritized personal cars over high-volume passenger trains, now can boast that it has two electric trains — and more on the way. "

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago

They must not be counting light rail which is electric.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail_in_the_United_States

"The United States, with its 27 systems (as counted by the Light Rail Transit Association), has a much larger number of "true" light rail systems (not including streetcar systems), by far, compared to any other country in the world (the next largest are Germany with 10 and Japan with 9).[1]

According to the American Public Transportation Association, of the roughly 30 cities with light rail systems in the United States, the light rail systems in six of them (Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), San Diego, and San Francisco) achieve more than 30 million unlinked passenger transits per year.[2]"

The problem with light rail here is excessive heat makes the overhead wire expand and when that happens, it sags causing the trains to have to slow down. :(

In the winter, the problem is snow and ice blocking the lines and the switches.

[-] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

In Portland, the biggest problem light rail has are assholes parking on the tracks.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Or driving in front of the train!

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

Just hit the damn car. You're a god damned TRAIN!!! CHOO CHOO MOTHERFUCKER!!!

It's like Paul Heyman told Taz. "If anybody gets in your way, get em' outta your way!"

[-] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Sounds like the trains need a cow catcher to help clear the tracks.

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[-] Beaver@lemmy.ca 13 points 11 months ago

Canada isn’t even on the podium :P

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[-] RangerJosie@sffa.community 38 points 11 months ago

No. We're not even on board with trains as a concept outside of the context of heavy freight shipping. The people are. But big oil spends a lot of bribe money to make sure you can't easily ride a train across the country.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I wouldn’t doubt Big Airline spends as well.

[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 10 points 11 months ago

Big freight train spends a lot on bribing too, to avoid needing to spend even more from being required to improve their services.

[-] Coldgoron@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago

I fucking wish. We’re 50 damn years from common sense.

[-] cmbabul@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

You optimist!

[-] ProxyZeus@lemmy.world 34 points 11 months ago

I can't wait for the US to finally have decent public transport, I hate having to drive for everything

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 10 points 11 months ago

I live in a big city with public transport. It's great.

[-] undefined@links.hackliberty.org 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I’m always conflicted because I happen to have an LA Metro train close to me, but riding it is always scary because there are violent people, tweakers, creeps everywhere.

When I was in Mexico City recently the trains there weren’t as pretty and they were packed with people, but I didn’t see people tweaking out left and right. I actually very much enjoyed using their transit system while there.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

Yeah, LA transit sucks, but it can be better. I wish I lived close to a line in my area (SLC), because every time I end up riding it, I enjoy it.

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[-] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 33 points 11 months ago

I wish. The US is endlessly far behind on public transportation.

Talking to my own family members around the US, they only have eyes for their enormous gas guzzler pickup trucks that they use to run to the grocery store down the street.

[-] spyd3r@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

We don't need public transportation, we have something better, personal transportation... We also have a robust network for air travel that will take you anywhere in the country in a few hours.

[-] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 28 points 11 months ago

You can have both. Europe has a great mix. So awesome to have the option to take the train or bus. They also have awesome road infrastructure in most places. Try comparing an American freeway to a German freeway. You feel like you're in a third world country when you come back to the roads in the States.

[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

On the one hand, I hear the arguments that Europe has a higher population density, more hubs and smaller cities that make trains effective, but the same efficiencies and cost cuts can't be achieved in the US.

On the other hand, I played railroad tycoon and saw how trains and trams were extremely successful to quickly connect and develop a sparse US through efficient public intercity and in-city transport and feel disappointed with the lack of imagination 🥲

[-] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Europe as a whole is not a lot smaller than the US, so I think many of the same efficiencies can be achieved. China has also been able to do it very efficiently and is basically the same size as the US. Granted, they have a much larger population and more potential customers, but it can definitely be done.

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[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

more hubs

USA has zero hubs because the transportation system is not developed even by the standards of the 1800s.

smaller cities

Yes, smaller cities can survive with decent transit. Sadly that's not going to happen in USA. It's a sad concrete wasteland.

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[-] Habahnow@sh.itjust.works 13 points 11 months ago

Personal transportation is extremely inefficient. You need to pay a bunch of money for something, in order to get around, and it is always space inefficient, bad for the environment and encouraged parking lot creation over housing.

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[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

And even better! All this got rid of those pesky winters

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago

And even better! All this got rid of those pesky winters

And replaced it with an extended hurricane season.

[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 11 months ago

People driving around in personal tanks is not "something better".

It's dumb, privileged, unsustainable, unhealthy, violent, and literally destroying the planet.

[-] coffee_with_cream@sh.itjust.works 17 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Now that the US doesn't rely on auto manufacturing as its main industry, people are coming around on trains.

But, what's that rule about headlines ending in a question mark? 🤔

[-] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

No. The answer is always No.

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 12 points 11 months ago

The propaganda does not land, wake me up when we have a semblance of decent rail.

[-] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I hope your name is Rumplestiltskin, because it gonna be awhile.

[-] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

Today on Nightline, is Janice from makeup going to respond favorably to my persistent battery of raunchy pickup lines?

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

We actually have more light rail systems than any other country in the world. Those are all electric, but yeah heavy rail is all diesel still.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 15 points 11 months ago

This was not hard to find:

AAR arguing against electrification

[-] Stovetop@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

If an article title is posed as a question, the answer is always no.

[-] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

I don't understand this article. It talks as if these trains in California are the US' first electric trains.

Our light rail here in Portland OR is electric.

[-] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 11 months ago

And it's better implemented than LA's. Our system has stations in the middle of barren areas in many places. NIMBYism is a cancer in California.

[-] Liz@midwest.social 6 points 11 months ago

There's only one solution for the US. The world's fastest bullet train network. Anything less will not do.

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this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
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