Autonomous trucks have dominated discussion around the future of freight transportation for much of the past decade, attracting billions of dollars in investment and extensive media attention. Yet another mode of transport – freight rail – is quietly undergoing its own transformation. Matt Soule, founder and CEO of Parallel Systems, believes autonomous rail could become one of the most significant developments in logistics. A former SpaceX engineer who spent 13 years helping develop advanced aerospace systems, Soule founded the Los Angeles-based company with the goal of reimagining rail freight using autonomous, battery-electric technology. Rather than relying on traditional diesel locomotives pulling long trains, Parallel Systems has developed self-propelled autonomous rail vehicles that can operate in smaller platoons. The company says the approach offers greater flexibility, lower operating costs, and zero-emission transportation while making rail a viable option for shorter freight routes that have historically been dominated by trucks. The company has raised more than $100 million and is currently conducting commercial testing with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad in Georgia under the oversight of the Federal Railroad Administration. The program represents one of the most advanced real-world demonstrations of autonomous rail technology currently under way in the United States. In this interview with Robotics & Automation News, Soule discusses why freight rail is reaching a technological turning point, how autonomous railcars differ from conventional trains, and why he believes rail could capture more than $100 billion worth of freight currently moved by trucks. He also outlines his vision of a future logistics network where autonomous trucks, robotic warehouses, AI-driven routing systems, and autonomous rail vehicles operate as a coordinated ecosystem. According to Soule, these technologies will form a highly synchronized transportation network in which goods move continuously through supply chains with minimal friction. Perhaps most notably, he argues that autonomous freight