How many railways does the US have?

There are seven major railroads in the United States (Class I railroads) and over 500 shortline and regional railroads (Class II & Class III railroads). These lines are critical for shippers needing an economical solution to long-haul transportation. See our interactive maps below.



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With more than 28,000 locomotives, 1.6 million rail cars and freight rail lines spanning across 140,000 miles, America's freight rail system is perfectly positioned to be the most efficient and cost-effective transportation network covering the 3.12 million square miles of the continental U.S.

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While the United States has the largest overall rail network, China boasts the largest highspeed rail network. In 2021 the country operated nearly 40,500 kilometers of highspeed rail lines.

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The United States has the world's longest railway network, followed by China and India.

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The United States possesses the largest railway network in the world, in terms of total operating length. China and India trail behind as the second and third largest railway networks respectively. Detailed profiles of the top five railway networks worldwide, taking into consideration their extensive coverage.

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One of the most frequently asked questions we receive when conducting training on railroading basics is: “Who owns the railroad tracks?” In the United States and Canada, that answer is overwhelmingly the railroads themselves.

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Historic Strasburg takes pride in the fact that its railroad is the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in America.

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As of 2020, Texas was the U.S. state with the largest railroad mileage, reaching over 10,400 miles. It represented around 7.6 percent of the total mileage for the United States.

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The numerous freight and passenger trains coursing through Chicago define the city as the nation's railroad hub.

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CSX Transportation (it's name deriving with the “C” standing for Chessie, “S” for Seaboard, and “X” an all-encompassing multiplication symbol that “together we are so much more”) is the railroad division of CSX Corporation. The latter was originally created in 1980 as a holding company for several subsidiaries.

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History. The Baltimore and Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum is the oldest railroad station in America! The B&O Ellicott City Station Museum is the terminus of the first 13 miles of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

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Today, most of the transcontinental railroad line is still in operation by the Union Pacific (yes, the same railroad that built it 150 years ago). The map at left shows sections of the transcon that have been abandoned throughout the years.

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Bill Gates acquired 54.8 Million Canadian National Railway shares worth $5.94 Billion. That's 15.02% of their entire equity portfolio (3rd largest holding). The investor owns 8.29% of the outstanding Canadian National Railway stock. The first Canadian National Railway trade was made in Q3 2002.

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Warren Buffett, the billionaire owner of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the most successful investors alive, owns BNSF Railway Company.

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Today's train locomotives are already quite fuel efficient, especially compared to trucks. In fact, trains can haul one ton of goods an average of more than 480 miles on just a single gallon of fuel, making them 3-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks.

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