COVID-19 along with Autonomous Vehicles Will Put an End to Rail Systems in Isolated Territories

Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic outbreak, the rail systems on islands turned out to be failures. The main concept of rail systems is to convey many people in one large means of transportation. However, on islands, the small area limits the ability of the train to go through a good path that can meet the need of a sufficient number of people. Therefore, the rail systems are unproductive. Moreover, in the near future, the trains will have tough competition with autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles will go in platoons with a constant distance from the vehicle ahead, which will look like a long train. These autonomous vehicle trains will be much more efficient than the old fashioned trains. COVID-19 influenced many passengers to leave the rails because the rails seem to be one of the most substantial disseminators of the virus. Train passenger numbers may perhaps rebound little by little following the COVID-19 crisis, but the looming technology of autonomous vehicles will be competition that is too tough for the rails, and such a passenger-numbers rebound is unlikely to succeed. Therefore, transportation authorities in isolated territories should refrain from investing in the infrastructures of rail systems.