Sep 14, Railroads Of Today: Class I Map, PSR & the 2026 Industry
U.S. freight rail in 2026—six Class I railroads on a nearly 140,000-mile network. PSR as everyday practice, how the STB works, traffic mix, short lines and regionals.
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U.S. freight rail in 2026—six Class I railroads on a nearly 140,000-mile network. PSR as everyday practice, how the STB works, traffic mix, short lines and regionals.
U.S. railroads 1880–1890—93,200 to 163,600 miles, 70,400 added. Standard Time Nov. 18, 1883, Southern 5-foot change 1886, Interstate Commerce Act 1887.
U.S. railroads 1980–1990—Class I mileage 164,822 to 119,758. Staggers Oct. 14 1980, CSX and Norfolk Southern, UP–Missouri Pacific–Western Pacific, Conrail IPO March 26 1987.
U.S. railroads 2010–2020—Class I mileage 95,573 to 91,773. Buffett closed BNSF Feb. 12 2010, Harrison at CP June 29 2012 and CSX 2017, PTC deadline Dec. 31 2018.
U.S. railroads 1850–1860—9,021 to ~30,600 miles, Illinois Central land grant, NYC 1853, Erie to Dunkirk, PRR/B&O to the Ohio, Minot’s 1851 train order, Rock Island bridge. Fact...
By Peter Basile, Local Division Manager, ABB Heavy rail systems now deliver 23% more vehicle miles per kilowatt-hour than they did 30 years ago, while light rail and streetcar syst...
U.S. railroads 1900–1910—ICC miles 193,346 to 240,293, Elkins/Hepburn/Mann-Elkins, interurbans, 20th Century Limited, Penn Station, last transcontinentals. Facts and statistics.
U.S. railroads 1990–2000—Class I mileage 119,758 to 99,250. BNSF Sept. 22 1995, UP–SP Sept. 11 1996, Conrail split June 1 1999, ICC Termination Dec. 29 1995.
U.S. railroads 1870–1880—52,922 to ~93,200 miles. Panic of 1873, Crédit Mobilier, Granger laws, Westinghouse automatic brake 1872, Ashtabula 1876, Great Strike 1877. Decade frame,...
USRA federal control Dec. 28, 1917–March 1, 1920. McAdoo and Hines, Federal Control Act, compensation, standard steam locomotives (~1,850 originals) and 100,000 freight cars. Types...
Join Cisco at InnoTrans 2026 to explore the next generation of rail networks. Discover how FRMCS, AI edge computing, and digital sovereignty are transforming critical infrastructur...
Railway infrastructure has long been delivered in pieces. One contractor lays the track. Another installs the overhead lines. A third handles signalling. The result is a project la...
U.S. railroads 1950–1960—223,779 to 211,459 miles. Interstate June 29, 1956, dieselization, passenger collapse, TOFC, 1957–58 recession, NYO&W 1957, N&W–Virginian 1959.
The UK rail industry faces a persistent and complex challenge: the increasing demand for maintenance, renewal, and enhancement must be met within progressively limited access windo...
For the sixth year running, Icomera UK has successfully achieved certification under the Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS). This accreditation is the trusted benc...
Intermodal traffic improved by more than double the percentage of carload shipments in the latest AAR data. The post Rail freight gains ride steelmaking, energy sectors appeared fi...
Davenport, Rock Island and North Western Railway, the DRI Line. Clinton to East Moline across the Crescent Bridge. Burlington and Milwaukee. Merged into the Soo Line on June 29, 19...
U.S. railroads 1970–1980—196,479 miles at the decade’s start. Penn Central bankruptcy June 21 1970, Amtrak May 1 1971, 3R/4R Acts, Conrail April 1 1976, Rock Island 1975, Milwaukee...
U.S. railroads 2020–2026—Class I mileage 91,773 in 2020. COVID traffic drop, CPKC April 14 2023, East Palestine Feb. 3 2023, UP–NS $85 billion case still before the STB.
U.S. railroads 1840–1850—2,808 to 9,021 miles, T-rail and wooden ties, Pennsylvania Railroad charter 1846, 4-4-0 American type, Morse telegraph on the B&O. Facts and photos. No...
U.S. railroads 1930–1940—249,052 to 233,670 miles. Section 77, Eastman, Motor Carrier Act, M-10000 and Pioneer Zephyr 1934, EMC FT 1939. Decade frame, not the streamliner encyclope...
U.S. railroads 1820s–1830s—Granite Railway 1826, B&O common carrier, Stourbridge Lion, Tom Thumb, Best Friend, 2,808 miles by 1840. Firsts, facts, photos.
Britain’s rail industry is on the brink of significant change. As Great British Railways begins to take shape and the Government looks to reduce the cost of running the network whi...
U.S. railroads 1860–1870—~30,600 to 52,922 miles. Civil War as the decade’s center, Pacific Railway Acts and Promontory, Vanderbilt’s NYC, Pullman Pioneer, Bessemer rail, Westingho...
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