Trains are more efficient and less polluting than other transportation modes
What I found interesting is that in the US the government had a huge role with developing the rail network while in the UK it was entirely done by the private sector.<p>I&#x27;m from the Netherlands where the rail network started out as a state owned company. It then got privatized by splitting ownership horizontally. Meaning one company owns the rail network while other companies provide train services on top of that network. This in contrast to Japan where ownership is split vertically. Multiple companies owning sections of the network including the train services. It amazes me that the Japanese model is able to achieve their famous punctuality. To see multiple privately owned companies working together in perfect harmony. In the Netherlands the railway system still needs state funding every year. I don&#x27;t see how we could ever transition to the Japanese model. Which is a shame.<p>I think the optimal solution needn&#x27;t and shouldn&#x27;t be government designed.<p>To see countries like Norway where the state is subsidizing electric cars. Then meanwhile it&#x27;s the state owned company Equinor still extracting huge amounts of oil for export. That oil might not get burned in Norway. But it&#x27;s going to be burnt somewhere regardless how clean the energy in Norway is. Achieving clean transportation in one country doesn&#x27;t mean we&#x27;re solving the CO2 problem if the states are still allowing oil to be extracted and exported to other countries.<p>The problem is perhaps best solved by achieving renewable energy sources. Either through electricity or producing renewable (combustible) fuel sources.