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Fast Track To Public Rail Electrification

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[quote user="jclass"] Why would electrification and HSR be seriously considered to be part of the new purpose (other than for use as a political bargaining chip)?  I don't see where either would increase political support for those pushing sustainability.  Railroads in the general public's perception are a liability. [/quote] I am not sure I understand your question.  What I call the new purpose is basically the new reason to electrify, and that new reason is for the achievement of sustainability.  In this case, sustainability will be boosted by the use of renewable energy in the form of wind-generated electricity.  The use of renewable energy will accomplish the following two objectives: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> 1)      It will eliminate the use of oil, which will insure against a crisis of oil shock, should foreign sources of oil be interrupted 2)      It will eliminate CO2 emissions, which will help avert a climate crisis. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The previous main reasons or purpose for electrification was as follows: <o:p></o:p> 1)        It would lower operating cost.  2)        It would eliminate smoke during the steam age.   <o:p></o:p> The elimination of smoke during the steam age was an emissions issue similar to the CO2 emissions issue of the new purpose, but the objectives are quite different.  Up until a couple years ago, CO2 had never been considered to be nuisance or hazardous emission, so no previous objective of smoke abatement was based on the desire to eliminate the CO2 component of smoke emissions.  So the two reasons that make up the new purpose for electrification have never been part of the rationale of any previous analysis, proposal, or execution of railroad electrification.    Because rail is low friction, it is inherently more energy efficient than either air or highway transportation.  So there is an economic attraction to shifting as much air and highway transportation to rail as possible.  And by shifting that present non-rail transport to rail, it can be powered by renewable electricity instead of oil-based, non-renewable fuels.  So electrified rail is the centerpiece of this sustainable transportation vision, not only for the traditional rail shipments of today, but for future shipments of much of what is today shipped by truck.  Likewise, passengers from air and highway will be diverted to rail and be thus powered by renewable energy.
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