You’re right, it isn’t cheap, which is why only rich countries can afford extensive overhead electrified freight networks spanning many thousands of miles across harsh terrain and climate. Only extremely high GDP per capita countries like… let me see… China, Russia, and India, if I understand the cost argument correctly.

The obstacle here is not lifecycle cost. It is the up-front cost that is too big to stomach for investors focused on next quarter’s profit margin, especially when the externalities of emissions aren’t remotely factored into our efficient market decision making. Short term thinking and failure to price emissions are the driving forces behind our avoid-catenary-at-all-costs approach to decarbonizing rail. How many more ppm before we figure out this is stupid?