Condition & Capacity
Freight rail companies own and maintain their own infrastructure, while U.S. passenger rail consists of Amtrak and commuter rail systems that transport riders from suburban communities to dense urban centers.
Freight Rail
Freight rail moves 1.5 billion tons of goods, a figure that has been increasing over the last two decades. In 2022, the average train car hauled 4,089 tons compared to 2,923 tons in 2000. Freight rail transports agricultural products, chemicals, coal, crude oil, intermodal goods, and motor vehicles, among other essential items.
Hundreds of private rail companies own and maintain the national freight network and are classified based on annual revenue. There are six large Class I railroads and 615 total Class II and Class III short line railroads in the U.S. Together, these companies serve 49 states and Washington, DC.
Freight rail traffic decreased during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic but rebounded sharply in the months and years after. Although supply chain choke points existed, rail infrastructure performed adequately during this era of increased traffic. Between 2022 and 2023, rail traffic increased slightly by 0.7% or 81,504 carloads. For October 2024, freight rail volume managed a 3.5% increase year-over-year. Though uncertainty exists, capacity on the freight rail network is currently sufficient.
Carload Traffic for 2023
Railroads do not provide aggregated information on the condition of their infrastructure or ongoing maintenance priorities. Weight restrictions can be a proxy metric for rail infrastructure, as they can indicate the structural integrity of railroad tracks and the overall state of repair. Most railcars weigh up to 280,000 pounds, whereas heavy-axle freight cars weigh as much as 315,500 pounds. Four of the largest freight rail networks in the U.S. indicate that most company rail lines support 286,000 pounds for 4-axle cars from 39 ft and longer.
Class II and III railroads provide connections or serve as feeder lines to the larger Class I railroads. They might serve specific markets or regions, are often vital to transferring goods between modes, and serve as a “last mile” connection. Many of the Class II and III railroads in the U.S. have inherited track in need of maintenance and upgrades that were deferred by legacy owners. According to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, it is estimated that of the 86,000 miles of track and 31,000 bridges in operation, only 41,500 track miles (48%) and 17,000 bridges (53%) can sustain 286,000 lb. rail car traffic—the current industry standard across Class I operators.
Today, short line railroads invest at least 25% of their annual revenue in upgrading their track and other infrastructure, but challenges remain. For instance, Class II and III railroads are more dependent on individual industries or commodities than Class I railroads. A key example is coal. As coal demand has diminished, short line rails have sought alternative cargo to replace it.
Passenger Rail
Passenger rail in the U.S. consists of Amtrak and commuter rail systems for passengers who rely on heavy rail to get from suburbs to major city centers. In Fiscal Year 2023, Amtrak reported more than 28.6 million riders—an increase of 25% from FY22 (22.9 million).
Amtrak service can be divided into three categories:
- The Northeast Corridor (NEC): As the passenger rail corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C., the NEC is the only passenger rail corridor owned by Amtrak; other routes operate almost exclusively on privately owned freight railroad tracks. Before the pandemic, 39% of all Amtrak trips were on the NEC.
- State-supported routes: Routes under 750 miles that receive financial assistance from the state(s) where they are located; 47% of all Amtrak trips before the pandemic.
- Long-distance routes: Segments of track over 750 miles; 14% of all Amtrak trips before the pandemic.
Service expansion and projects are underway as Amtrak looks to double ridership to 66 million by 2040. Capital improvements will support additional service stops, upgrade lines for improved rail performance, and update facilities. Projects include the Gateway Program, which will address ongoing congestion along a 10-mile stretch of Amtrak rail between New York and New Jersey, and the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP), which will implement key infrastructure improvements in this critical access point for long-distance travel. The new Fredrick Douglass Tunnel Program will also address the NEC’s biggest bottleneck, replacing the 1.4-mile Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, which experiences persistent age-related issues.
Source: Amtrak, Connects US, April 2021[/caption]
