Since current locomotives are diesel electric hybrids anyway, seems like US Railroads could electrify certain potions of track, maybe steep changes in grade or places where trains frequently stop/start, yielding an opportunity to cut diesel consumption 50% or more on certain routes, since maintaining speed requires modest effort.

Also, while reduced fuel consumption is nice, another major beneficiary would be the environment, specifically when operating in urban centers. I’ve lived near heavy-use railways and currently a switching yard for most of my life, and some days the diesel exhaust is quite strong, depending on the prevailing winds. The engines are usually pretty clean burning for the amount of work they produce, but not always…