Technology

59329 readers

5017 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

265

Is the US finally getting ‘all aboard’ with electric trains? (www.theverge.com)

submitted 3 months ago by Beaver@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world

58 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

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 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 2 points 3 months ago

As I said, lack of imagination. There is this bump in effort that has to be transposed to reach actual returns on investment because energy is too cheap and secure atm. But once that bump is transposed, there is a large landscape of gains, but they can't see past the bump.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 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.