RAILROADS BUILT AMERICA

Railroads & American Commerce

Railroads helped turn regional markets into a national economy. Explore how rail transportation changed farming, industry, cities, food, trade, and today's supply chains.

Commerce on Steel Rails

A railroad is more than locomotives and track. It is an economic network connecting producers with customers and communities with markets.

This section follows commodities and industries through the railroad system so visitors can understand not only what trains carry, but why those movements matter.

Explore Commerce & Industry

Keep exploring the American railroad story

Railroads & America