Freight Rail & Intermodal

Rail intermodal — the transportation of shipping containers and truck trailers by rail — allows railroads to provide their customers with cost-effective, environmentally friendly service for almost anything that can be loaded into a truck or a container.

Customers receive the flexible service that trucks provide but at a competitive rate only rail intermodal can offer. The general public benefits, too, from the reduction in highway congestion and harmful emissions — and from the reduced cost of moving goods to market.

Starting with the advent of the modern shipping container in the 1950s, freight railroads have invested heavily in building the world-class intermodal rail network that ensures U.S. global competitiveness. New and expanded intermodal terminals at ports and inland use advanced technologies to transfer containers to and from trucks in minutes. Additional track capacity and advanced signaling systems allow for faster, more frequent intermodal trains, while new locomotives and intermodal flat cars handle traffic growth. Bridge and tunnel improvements accommodate the additional height that doublestack trains require.

Intermodal rail has benefited rail customers with competitive rates and unmatched efficiency of scale. Thanks in part to intermodal freight rail, average rail rates have fallen 44% since 1981 — allowing most rail shippers to move more freight for the same price paid more than 40 years ago. Freight rail remains committed to maintaining and growing the most cost-effective and efficient intermodal rail network in the world.

61 Tons

Together with trucks and maritime shippers, freight railroads carry nearly 61 tons of freight per American each year — much of it via intermodal rail. Many of the products found on a retailer’s shelves might have traveled on an intermodal train, from bananas and beverages to clothing, sporting goods and home appliances.
Continued Growth

Intermodal has been the fastest growing major rail traffic segment over the past 25 years and set new volume records in the first half of 2021. Around half of rail intermodal volume consists of imports or exports, reflecting the vital role intermodal plays in international trade.
Containers & Trailers

Containers accounted for 47% of intermodal volume in 1990, 69% in 2000, and 92% in 2019. Unlike trailers, containers can be “double stacked,” which helps ensure there is sufficient traffic density to keep rail intermodal cost competitive with all-truck movements.
27% of Rail Revenue

In 2021, intermodal accounted for approximately 27% of revenue for major U.S. railroads, more than any other single rail traffic segment.
Intermodal Hubs

Chicago and Los Angeles/Long Beach are by far the top U.S. metropolitan areas for intermodal volume. Major intermodal markets have large populations and extensive highway feeder systems, both of which are crucial for intermodal success.