There are Basically FOUR MAJOR Railroads Left in America as Far as I Know

JonMyrlennBailey

Active member
1. Union Pacific
2. BNSF
3. Norfolk Southern
4. Alaskan

The three top companies above absorbed most of America's historical big-name roads through mergers over the years.
 
Pretty sure you are forgetting CN.
I doubt “Alaskan” should be in there; they are tiny compared to CN or any of the other 3.

Anyway,
What is the idea of this topic?
 
Having less, and less, railroad companies, makes for a smoother running operation, nationwide, and makes freight traffic move greater distances, without running into each others trains, or having trains sit for days in freight yards awaiting pickup by another railroad
 
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In order of 2010 operating revenue, they are:

1. Union Pacific: $17bnStill operator of the largest route network of any Class I, Union Pacific is also the only one able to trace its history back to the earliest years of the US railroads, having been formed in 1862 to build the eastern end of the historic Iowa to California trans-continental railroad. It was transformed, however, by its 1996 merger with Southern Pacific. Operating west of the Mississippi, UP depends heavily on hauling containers from west coast ports, on hauling coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin and transporting mid-western grain and other bulk products.

2. BNSF: $16.8bnThe Burlington Northern and Santa Fe is currently most famous for being owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s investment vehicle, which bought it in 2009. However, the railroad, product of a 1995 merger between Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads, was already well-known in the industry for running a highly efficient railroad – which now rivals Union Pacific in revenue despite having a smaller network.

3. CSX: $10.6bnCSX, operator of the largest railroad network east of the Mississippi, depends heavily on the region’s industrial base for its traffic. The company divided Conrail, the formerly government-owned railroad company, with Norfolk Southern in a 1997 merger.

4. Norfolk Southern: $9.5bnOne of the most efficient railroads, Norfolk Southern has the smaller network of the two east-of-the-Mississippi Class Is but has routes more tightly focused on the main sources of traffic and has long generated better returns than its rivals. It is the most reliant of the Class Is on coal, handling coal produced in the Appalachians, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Much of it is exported through the company’s dedicated coal facility at Lamberts Point in Portsmouth, Virginia.

5. Canadian National: $8.38bnCanadian National operates a substantial network in the US, as well as its core trans-continental line linking Vancouver and Calgary to the main eastern Canadian population centers.

6. Canadian Pacific: $5.05bnCanadian Pacific, operating a network parallel to CN’s, is less profitable than its larger rival but gradually improving.

7. Kansas City Southern: $1.81bnSmallest of the US and Canadian Class Is, Kansas City Southern markets itself as “the Nafta railroad”, since its main routes run north to south, linking Canada to Mexico. It also has extensive operations in Mexico and operates the Panama Canal Railway in Panama.
 
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There were once many more Class I railroads in the US, but due to FRA classification changes so that these once Class I lines are now designated Class II and Class III/Regionals.

And yes.... Many of the more famous Class Is are no longer due to mergers and consolidation within the railroad industry. Gone is the MoPac, Frisco, GN, NP, DRGW and so many other famous ones, all having been consolidated into the larger connecting lines.
 
A long time ago now I once said on the forum that here in Gt Britain I had a US Railroad companies and timetablse. It was given to me years ago and dates back to the 1950's and what a difference in the number of railways that existed. It lists all those in the USA plus Canada, Mexico and Cuba. From wee railways to the giants and when I visited America back in 1980 and 82 I met by chance a man listed in it! He had been the editor of one of the big companies (the'Pen) inhouse magazine and I found he had been there for ages as he was in the HQ page of the company. Did for a while wonder if I should maybe donate it to one of you over the water in but a long term fan here suggested I keep it. It is from memory (if I can find it!) nearly 3 inches thick with so many railways in it. Even small companies are shown with their mileage so a very practical kind of history book that was a regular publishment.

On that second trip over there him and his wife invited me down to Philadelphia for a couple of days and we got stuck into railways! Still not sure if i should still hold on to that book which someone over the pond would love to have showing what was............
 
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