Each American requires the movement of approximately 54 tons of freight per year. Rail is a cost-effective and efficient way to move almost any freight in the United States, which benefits both producers and consumers. Department of Transportation, 2019 Pocket Guide to Transportation, 19. rail routes by tonnage of commodities they carry. freight movement by ton-miles (the length and weight freight travels). The rail network accounted for approximately 28 percent of U.S. Heavy freight such as coal, lumber, ore, and heavy freight going long distances are likely to travel by rail, or some combination of truck, rail, and water.

Trucks provide time-sensitive delivery services for more high-value goods being transported over medium- and short-haul distances. Rail has an advantage in moving heavy freight over long distances efficiently, as do waterways and pipeline services. Association of American Railroads, “ Freight Railroad Capacity and Investment,” March 2020.įreight is moved by rail, waterways, pipeline, truck, and air throughout the United States. Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, 2019 Edition, 3. Association of American Railroads, “ Overview of America’s Freight Railroads,” March 2020. The combined revenue of Class I railroads equaled $67 billion in 2017. The seven Class I freight railroads are: BNSF Railway Co., Canadian National Railway (Grand Trunk Corporation), Canadian Pacific (Soo Line Corporation), CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern Railway Co., Norfolk Southern Combined Railroad Subsidiaries, and Union Pacific Railroad Co. See Railway Technology, “ The world’s 10 longest railway networks,” February 2014 Association of American Railroads, “ Overview of America’s Freight Railroads,” March 2020. Compared with other major modes of transportation, railroad owners invest one of the highest percentages of revenues (19 percent) to maintain and add capacity to their system, spending nearly $25 billion annually. freight railroads are owned by private organizations who are responsible for their own maintenance and improvement projects. It provides more than 167,000 jobs across the United States and offers ancillary benefits that other modes of transportation cannot, including reductions in road congestion, highway fatalities, fuel consumption, greenhouse gases, cost of logistics, and public infrastructure maintenance costs. The nearly $80-billion freight rail industry is operated by seven Class I railroads (railroads with operating revenues of $490 million or more) and 22 regional and 584 local/short line railroads. freight rail network is widely considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world. Running on almost 140,000 route miles, the U.S. Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing.

Competitive Discretionary Grant Programs.Accident Data & Reporting, Investigations.Railroad Crossing Safety & Trespass Prevention.Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Information from FRA.

Rail maze requirements