No, it won’t be. It’s a good way to power 200-300 mph vehicles electrically without worrying about battery maintenance/charging. Rails do a nice job of locating a current pickup precisely and providing an electrical return path.

Self-driving cars won’t be able to do that kind of speed with the same level of safety. Hyperloop is fucking awful if you’re claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness — being Spam in a can would be vomit city for me.

But you’re right, the tech can evolve. If trains can be driverless, you can have one or two-car “capsules” running and stopping much more frequently than current trains.