I have always been a train buff. One of my greatest thrills was to ride in a locomotive for a story I wrote a number of years ago. Trains are simply a great way to travel: They’re comfortable, you get to enjoy the scenery, and you’re spared the monotony of long-distance driving. While the U.S. has a fine system of Amtrak trains, you have to experience high-speed trains in Europe or Japan to fully appreciate the rail travel experience.
Trains are not only a great way to carry people; they’re also the most efficient way to move freight. We have been relying on rail for transporting goods since the first steam locomotive was built in England in 1804.
At one time, rail ruled the world. That’s no longer the case: Railroads transport far fewer people today than they did 80 years ago, and many former railway lines have been converted into bike paths and hiking trails.
Yet the railroads remain a vital economic force, carrying about 30% of all freight transported in the United States. And despite the bike path conversions, the U.S. rail system is the largest in the world, boasting 140,000 miles of track, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Rail freight today is an $80-billion-a-year industry, with seven Class 1 railroads, 22 regional lines, and 584 short-line railroads.
There are good reasons to move freight by rail. For one thing, trains are far more fuel-efficient than trucks, able to move a ton of freight 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel compared to 134 miles for an 18-wheeler. Rail transport is cheaper as well: Moving a ton of cargo by rail costs about a third as much as an all-truck move, and a combined truck-rail intermodal move costs about half as much as the all-highway equivalent.
Then there are the infrastructure-related benefits. One 100-car freight train can move as much cargo as several hundred over-the-road trucks; collectively, the rails take an estimated 800 million trucks off the highways each year, according to the Association of American Railroads. That’s a win on a couple of counts. First, it can help cut down on road congestion. Second, it reduces wear and tear on highways at a time when our roads are crumbling and funding for repairs is limited. In contrast, the U.S. railroads spend $25 billion—about 19% of their revenue—each year to maintain their tracks.
So the next time you’re stopped at a rail crossing watching 100 cars go by, don’t mutter under your breath. Instead, appreciate that those railcars are reducing congestion, creating efficiencies, saving money, and helping the planet a bit, too.
