Freight railroads closely collaborate with passenger carriers such as Amtrak to maintain a healthy, vibrant U.S. rail network that meets the country’s growing need to move people and goods.

In a typical year, freight railroads haul around 1.7 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods, and Amtrak moves tens of millions of people across an integrated, nearly 140,000-mile rail network. Of the more than 22,000 miles on which it operates, Amtrak owns approximately 620 miles in the Northeast and Michigan. Some of the remaining miles are owned by states or regional transportation authorities, but the vast majority are owned by freight railroads. In fact, 70% of the train miles operated by Amtrak are on tracks owned by these freight railroads.

Together, Amtrak and freight railroads deliver even more for the nation; they alleviate highway congestion, employ hundreds of thousands of Americans, reduce pollution, promote local and regional economic development and improve transportation safety. With the demand for freight expected to rise 30% by 2040, Amtrak moving record amounts of people in recent years, and continued market shifts, freight and passenger rail must work together to safely and efficiently move America forward.