While rail transport is highly efficient and eco-friendly, it carries several significant disadvantages, primarily its inflexibility and high fixed costs. Unlike trucking or private car travel, trains are "fixed-path" systems; they can only go where tracks have been laid, meaning they often require "intermodal" support (like a truck or a bus) to complete the "last mile" of a journey. Building and maintaining rail infrastructure is incredibly expensive, requiring massive capital investment and long-term government subsidies to remain viable. For passengers, the main drawbacks are the lack of door-to-door service and the rigid adherence to schedules; if you miss your departure by one minute, you are stuck. In many regions, particularly the United States, passenger rail also suffers from "freight interference," where passenger trains are forced to wait on sidings for long freight trains, leading to significant delays. Furthermore, the high density of people in train cars can lead to noise, lack of privacy, and health concerns in crowded environments. From a logistics standpoint, rail is also less efficient for small, time-sensitive shipments compared to air or road transport.