Capetonian:
From a consumer perspective, I recall from my schoolboy physics that AC suffers from lower transmission losses over distance...
True for long-distance transmission, in which the power lines are high-voltage, low-current conductors. The enroute power losses are defined by P = I(squared) x R, so the lower current is a distinct advantage. At/near the customer's site, a transformer (or series of them) reduces the voltage to a practical (and safer) level, simultaneously making more current available.
Onboard a vehicle, with much sorter distance between source and load, this AC vs DC issue (low vs high voltage) is hardly worth the argument. Other factors (energy storage via battery, e.g.) are much more influential.