What Railroads Haul
From one end of the country to the other, freight railroads carry the things America depends on:
Agricultural and Food Products
Railroads have been helping farmers get their goods to market since the earliest days of railroading. In a typical year, railroads haul 1.7 million carloads of wheat, corn, soybeans, and other agricultural products. In addition, railroads haul another 1.5 million carloads each year of animal feed, beer, canned produce, corn syrup, flour, french fries, frozen chickens, and countless other food products. If it’s on your table or in your pantry, railroads probably had a hand in getting it there.
“Railroads and Grain” Background Paper (PDF)
Chemicals
The 2 million carloads of chemicals that America’s railroads carry in a typical year help clean our water, fertilize our farms, package our food, build our cars and homes, protect our health, and enhance our well-being in thousands of other ways.
“Railroads and Chemicals” Background Paper (PDF)
Coal
Coal is indispensable: it generates half of America’s electricity, and railroads haul more than 70 percent of it. Railroads originated 7.7 million carloads of coal in 2008 — enough to meet the electricity needs of every home in America.
“Railroads and Coal” Background Paper (PDF)
Paper and Lumber
In a typical year, America’s freight railroads carry 1.3 million carloads of lumber and paper products, including wood used to build our homes, newsprint and magazine paper, paperboard for packaging, and more. Railroads also haul tens of thousands of carloads of scrap paper each year for recycling.
Consumer Goods
Intermodal (moving shipping containers and truck trailers on rail cars) has been the fastest growing rail traffic segment over the past 20 years, rising from 3 million trailers and containers in 1980 to around 12 million today. Talk about taking trucks off the road! Most rail intermodal traffic consists of consumer goods, and approximately 60 percent consists of imports or exports — reflecting the vital role railroads play in international trade.
“Rail Intermodal Keeps America Moving” Background Paper (PDF)
Motor Vehicles
In a typical year, railroads originate 1.7 million carloads of finished vehicles, parts, and accessories.
Other Commodities
Railroads carry huge amounts of metallic ores (such as iron ore and bauxite), steel, scrap metal and other metal products, petroleum and coal products (such as petroleum coke and liquefied petroleum gases), nonmetallic minerals (such as crushed stone, gravel and sand), cement, and many other products.