Will autonomous vehicles derail trains?
Boston Consulting Group, September 30, 2016
More than a century ago, rail was king when it came to medium- and long-distance transportation. After the automobile arrived, however, travel by car surpassed travel by rail in only a few decades. Today, in many Western countries, rail claims just a 10% to 20% share (if that) of the passenger transportation market. In absolute numbers, though, the industry remains big. But the advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) could well affect passenger rail travel as profoundly as did the automobile 125 years ago.