Top 5 US Railroads

Numerous factors influence the United States to be the power it is today. One of these factors is the large capacity of rail transport, which, through the railroads of the United States, makes the country's production, both in industries, mining and agribusiness, able to reach the entire national territory and also reach partner nations by means of export.

Currently, the numbers show that the North American country is the one that invests the most in railroads in the world. There are more than 290,000 km in length, almost 10 times more than the railroad mileage in Brazil and more than double that of China, which is the second country with the most railroad networks, with just over 130,000 km in length.

Brazilian railroad network of the North American country has some remarkable characteristics, usually related to the size and weight of the trains, which are large and robust. 

Trains usually have between 100 and 150 cars, which is quite considerable for a train composition. Also, the wagons and the complete trainset are usually heavy, totaling 5,000 to 10,000 tons per train and 80 to 100 tons per wagon. 

Because of this weighing slightly above that found in other regions, trips are slower, usually from 80 to 100 km/hr.

These characteristics are general, encompassing the various railroads in the United States. But what are the main railroads? Well, that's what we'll see next.

BNSF Railroad

Within this extensive field of "railroads" or railroads in the United States, there are some railroads that stand out, precisely because of their breadth and importance in the work of cargo flow, as is the case of BNSF railroad, one of the largest companies in the sector North American railroad.

If here in Brazil, the main company in the railroad sector is RUMO, and has operations in only 7 states in the country, the BNSF railroad passes the barrier of 28 states, such as Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, among others, showing clearly the difference between the countries' railroad networks. In addition, the company also operates in 3 air provinces in Canada, a neighboring country to the United States, especially in Vancouver and Winnipeg. 

The history of this railroad network is long, starting in the 19th century, around 1849, that is, totaling over 170 years of activity.

Currently, the network is managed by the  Berkshire Hathaway company,owned by investor Warren Buffett, and operates over 51,000 kilometers in length, basically one-sixth of the entire rail network in the United States.  

BNSF railroad's operations revolve around the transport of cargo, especially grain and coal. 

With a total of 5,790 locomotives and more than 40,000 professionals employed, the BNSF railroad is, without a doubt, one of the main railroads in the United States.

Union Pacific Railroad

In mileage size, none of the US railroads beats the Union Pacific Railroad. It is also more than 50,000 km long, connecting 23 US states.

Founded in 1862, the Union Pacific Railroad, which has naturally undergone a series of changes since then, now has a defined route from Chicago to towns along the Mississippi River to reach the Pacific coast.

In addition to the long extension of what is one of the main railroads in the United States, the Union Pacific Railroad has the necessary requirements and scope to be considered the main railroad in the country, such as serving the main ports on the West Coast and the Gulf Coast, key regions for the national economy.

In addition, it is a rail system that has multiple connections to Canada's rail fleet and serves all six major ports in Mexico.

More than 46,000 employees and 10,000 customers are served by the railroad, which works mainly with the transport of inputs for these customers, such as agricultural, automotive, chemical, coal, industrial and intermodal products.

CSX Transportation: The Latest US Railroad

Despite being a much newer railroad company than the others mentioned so far, since it was founded in 1986, it has already become one of the largest, most efficient and best-worked railroads in the country, especially in the East region.

It also operates in more than 23 North American states, mainly in the eastern United States. In addition, it also operates in two provinces in Canada, such as Ontario and Quebec.

The headquarters of the company that manages the rail network is located in Jacksonville, in the state of Florida.

In total, it is 32 thousand km long, which is one of the main railroads in the United States.

Among the various types of products that the railroad transports, the following stand out: laminated paper, cellulose, newsprint, metals, construction materials, household appliances and food products.

Norfolk Southern Railroad

The fourth company we selected is Norfolk Southern railroad, another of the United States' large-scale and wide-ranging railroads.

This is a railroad that also operates in more than 22 states across the country, including Harrisburg-Pennsylvania, Chicago-Illinois and Atlanta-Georgia, where the company has important operating facilities.

In addition, it is also one of the railroads in the United States that operates in Canada, through Toronto and Montreal.

The Norfolk Southern railroad is more than 30 thousand km long, and, counting the integrations, it totals more than 58 thousand km in length.

Despite also being a recent company, founded only in 1990, Norfolk Southern railroad stands out for its efficiency, maintenance work (it carries out maintenance on 46 thousand km of length), for its concern with the environment and for the efficiency of its operations.

Kansas City Southern Railroad

To complete the list of the 5 largest railroads in the United States, we also have the Kansas City Southern railroad, a railroad that operates directly in the southern region of the country.

Founded in 1887, more than 130 years ago, Kansas City Southern railroad remains an important national railroad network, operating in more than 10 states, such as Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas and having a length of just over 5,500 km. 

It is characterized by a regional railroad, but it covers important ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, essential for the transport of cargo from this railroad.

Conclusion: most important railroads in the United States

As we have seen, the rail network in the United States is the largest in the world. Talking about all railroads in the United States in just one article is not enough, that's why we saw 5 of the main North American railroads, which act directly in the development of the regions they pass through and the country's economy in general.

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https://www.bnsf.com/about-bnsf/our-railroad/index.page

https://portogente.com.br/artigos/19539-union-pacific-railroad-a-maior-ferrovia-americana

http://www.ferreoclube.com.br/2017/10/20/csx-transportation/

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