> The average freight rail trip in the EU are much shorter which makes rail less competitive relative to trucks.
Which makes rail freight in US much more different, doesn't it? We cannot discount competitiveness when comparing rail networks in economics context.
The fact that US rail freight is so much more efficient makes any argument for internal water based transport much less sound.
The average freight rail trip in the EU are much shorter which makes rail less competitive relative to trucks. That has nothing to do with the rail network and is instead a function of EU’s economy.
The difference in utilization largely comes down to geography and politics. America’s flyover states and high population costs just fit rail really well.