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Freight railroads are vital to the ecomony and the sustenance of North America.
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Freight rail, the extensive transport system that carries everything
from raw materials to consumer goods, is vital to the economy and sustenance of
North America. The vast network of rail infrastructure, totaling over 130,000
miles of track, helps deliver goods to all corners of the nation in an economical
and efficient manner. The story of railroading in North America is complex
and ever changing. From the beginning, as rail systems were developed along the
eastern seaboard, to the historic moment at Promontory Point when the east and
west coasts were finally linked, railroad track networks continued to expand,
and the railroad companies prospered. Recent economic times have resulted in major
consolidations of railroad companies.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB)
categorizes railroad companies as Class I, II, or III based upon their average
annual operating revenues. The major companies composing Class I railroads are:
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co., Canadian National, Canadian National/Illinois
Central, Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway/Soo Line Railroad
Co., CSX Transportation, Inc., Kansas City Southern Railway Co., Norfolk Southern
Corporation, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The Association of American Railroads
has a different system, which categorizes the railroads into Class I, (as defined
above) and either Regional or Local, according to average annual operating revenues,
as well as miles of track operated.
Regardless of classification, railroads depend on the strength
and durability of concrete to deliver the goods. Precast prestressed
concrete crossties, concrete bridge structures, intermodal yard
pavements, maintenance facilities, concrete culverts, precast or
cast-in-place concrete grade crossings, and other applications all
benefit from the strength, beauty, durability, and economics of
concrete.