This is a simple enough question but i could not find good answers anywhere. Hopefully some of you may have link to some research. I believe this topic merits a discussion as it has potential to really save energy and make long distance travel easier. We know that rails have lower coefficient of friction so they are heavy and very efficient in transporting goods compared to cars. I have also seen modified pickup trucks used for maintenance of rails. I was wondering with the advancements in autopilot like technologies would it not make sense to drive a car on a rail with or without platooning for long distances. This will save a lot of energy if it works well.
