This begs the question, how much does it cost to lay road than to lay rail? If it's going to be exclusively autonomous, the more narrow confines of the rail should be well suited.
Another common fallacy. The US actually has a better rail network than Europe - most people just think it's worse because passenger rail here sucks. That's the case because we prioritize freight trains over passenger (in America Business is #1).
To paraphrase Churchill, trucking is the worst form of transportation, besides all the others. If you can put freight on a train, you do. It's slower, point-to-point, and less good a less-than-trainload freight than trucks are.
