A pilot program that would bring hybrid and self-driving freight vehicles to the Skunk Train route is scheduled to begin sometime next year. The partnership between the Mendocino Railway and Glid Technologies will test the company’s road to rail freight systems on the 40 miles of track between Willits and Fort Bragg, to see whether low-emission, semi-automated systems could reduce transportation costs and improve rural logistics along the North Coast rail line. The project would bring jobs and technical training opportunities to the area.