I remember seeing a documentary about why, even though rail is more efficient, it has not replace long haul trucks.
The main reason had to do with how our rails are setup in an inefficient way and that all freight currently has to stop route through Chicago (iirc). This is a manual process where cars are manually moved, counted and routed.
Many former railways I know have actually been abandoned as I have an uncle who worked for Rails for Trails converting them into bike paths.
Rail is still incredibly cheap and efficient in the USA. In fact, the USA has some of the most cost effective freight rail in the world. [1]
Rail freight is also quite a bit larger than truck freight in the USA. A lot of things are railed across in an intermodal and then hitched onto a truck for regional delivery. [2]
In short, rail freight is massive in the USA and our primary mode of goods transportation.
The main reason had to do with how our rails are setup in an inefficient way and that all freight currently has to stop route through Chicago (iirc). This is a manual process where cars are manually moved, counted and routed.
Many former railways I know have actually been abandoned as I have an uncle who worked for Rails for Trails converting them into bike paths.