The North American Railroad Industry
The more than 600 freight railroads operating today in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are vital to North America's economic health. They form a seamless integrated system that provides the world's most efficient, cost-effective freight service. North American railroads operate over 173,000 miles of track, and earn $42 billion in annual revenues.
The AAR organizes railroad statistics, background papers, rail cost indexes, profiles, as well as industry history papers.
Railroads remain the backbone of North America's freight transportation network. In the U.S., railroads account for more than 40 percent of all freight transportation — and that's more than trucks, boats, barges or planes.
Seventy percent of all automobiles produced in the U.S. move by train. So does 30 percent of the nation's grain harvest and 65 percent of the coal which, in turn, provides more than half of the nation's electricity. Railroads move enough wheat to provide every man, woman and child a fresh loaf of bread six days a week... enough lumber to build almost three houses every minute of every day... and enough concrete to build 45 miles of new highway every day.
U.S. freight railroads are the world's busiest, moving more freight than any rail system in any other country. In fact, U.S. railroads move more than four times as much freight as do all of Western Europe's freight railroads combined.