. . . run them on renewable energy, and
. . . use rail corridors, to carry power from remote solar, and wind installations,
. . . to population centers.
Rail electrification, is common in other parts of the world.
. . . Around the globe, electricity serves nearly 1/4 of railroad track miles, and
. . . supplies over 1/3 of the energy that powers trains.
But in the U.S., under 1% of tracks are electrified.
. . . That’s due to high upfront capitalization costs,
. . . an obstacle that publicly owned railroads in other nations do not face.
Railroads in other countries,
. . . also do not have to pay property taxes on electrification infrastructure,
. . . which U.S. railroads do.
Trains can be easily electrified, and
. . . electricity is increasingly coming from clean sources,
. . . such as sun and wind.
Rail is already the most efficient form of ground transportation, and
. . . it has an unparalleled capacity to provide,
. . . clean freight, and passenger mobility.
3-13-2017 Source: Climate Solution: Railroads