I think the next decade or two of railroad history are all about moving commodities like oil and produce. Hyperloop is all about passengers (something the rail industry has never cared out) 3D printing requires raw materials to print stuff, which will drive more demand for rail transport. Nothing can move billions of plastic pellets faster and cheaper than a train.
This is disingenuous. In the 150+ years of North American rail, many of America's most intricate architectural structures[1] are train stations, and they certainly weren't making that investment for freight. The dining car service was also typically a loss leader, designed with the sole purpose of attracting customers. Freight never complains, though, and ends up being much better to transport.
[1]: http://www.nps.gov/stea/planyourvisit/lackawanna-station-100...
I think something like a hyperloop will do very well for less-than-carload/container freight, but would probably never transport the massive volumes of bulk products (chemicals, wood, oil, coal, ore, steel coils, etc.)
Exactly. The hyperloop network would probably cost much more due to the extensive passenger safety features that need to be (hopefully) built into it
You ship stuff that doesn't have time-definite requirements with UPS Ground or Parcel Post. Time definite, you use an express service. If you have time definate needs and larger quantities, you use FedEx Custom Critical, or some LTL truck service.
Some folks today ship same-day parcel shipments via Amtrak, Southwest Airlines, or other passenger service. That's what hyperloop parcel delivery would compete with. It's onerous and expensive (ie. I need a guy to drive to the station with the thing I need to ship), and only makes sense if you have an office adjacent to the city pairs or airport. Lawyers used this service alot pre-internet.
I would expect if you look at the volume of freight shipped via rail vs trucks it wouldn't be until the 1950s and the creation of the interstate system that it really took off. Containerization in the 50s and 60s would be another big boon to trucking.
I'm thinking things that are intermodal freight, like a container of TV's bound for a CostCo in San Diego, shipped from Long Beach.