The Association of American Railroads launched a campaign to inform the public about the huge benefits freight rail has on our lives and economy.
Here are 8 unbelievable facts about America’s freight railroads:
- 60 football fields: The length of the longest freight train in American history
- 4 American time zones: First established by freight railroads in 1883
- 107.3 billion pounds of steel: The amount of steel contained in America’s freight rail network
- 6,667 Eiffel Towers: Could be built with all that steel
- 489.4 million railroad ties: The number of railroad ties maintained by Class I freight railroads
- 5.6 trips around the Earth: The length of America’s freight rail network laid end-to-end
- 473 miles: How far a freight train can move a ton of freight on one gallon of fuel
- 75 percent: The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved by moving freight by rail instead of truck
Explore www.FreightRailWorks.org to see freight rail’s unique role in driving the economic growth that benefits all Americans.
