RAILROADS TODAY

Railroads in the Modern American Supply Chain

Modern freight rail is less visible to many Americans than it was a century ago, but it remains deeply connected to agriculture, manufacturing, energy and international trade.

Intermodal freight

Double-stack container trains link ports, inland terminals and trucking networks. The container can move between ship, rail and truck without its contents being unloaded at every transfer.

Bulk efficiency

Rail is particularly effective at moving large volumes of heavy commodities over long distances. Grain, chemicals, minerals and other bulk products remain major traffic categories.

Automotive and manufacturing

Railroads carry finished vehicles, components, metals, chemicals and other inputs used by American factories and distribution networks.

Ports and global trade

Rail lines connect major seaports with inland markets. International containers arriving by ship can move hundreds or thousands of miles inland by rail before transferring to trucks.

A network behind everyday products

Consumers may never see the rail portion of a product's journey. Food ingredients, packaging materials, vehicles, building products and imported goods can all spend part of their trip aboard a freight train.

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