Railroads are the most efficient transportation mode for moving goods on the earth’s surface. Railroads are of particular importance for the movement of commodities that heavy and moved in bulk over long distances where the transportation spend represents a large portion of the total delivered cost. Just a few examples of commodities moved by railroad are coal, grain, fertilizer, chemicals, forest products, finished motor vehicles and metals, among many others. The railroads are no longer in the business of moving passengers, but approximately 70% of the miles that Amtrak runs travel over track owned by the freight railroads for a fee.
