What’s So Special About Rail Transportation?
When shipping freight, you have the option to choose from many different modes of transportation to get your goods to their destination. With today’s advancements, shippers can customize their shipping experience based on their specific needs and requirements. Whether transporting freight via land, sky, or sea, each mode has its unique characteristics and advantages, making them all a solid choice.
In particular, rail transportation is a great, cost-effective option for shipping freight long distances at a high speed, but with the myriad of practical options available, what’s so special about rail transportation? We’re going to dive into the rich history of rail freight, its growth to become a powerful tool, and the way in which it significantly benefits the modern world of transportation and logistics today.
The Rise of Rail
Rail transportation has been a cornerstone of global trade and travel for centuries, playing an integral role in shaping economies and societies to become larger and stronger.
The invention of the railroad dates far back to the 19th century, with the first public railway opening in England in 1823, and the first railroad in North America – The Baltimore & Ohio – chartered in 1827.
Over the next 40 years, railroads in the U.S. began to expand rapidly. In 1862, the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad began, making travel and shipping quicker and cheaper, which led to extensive economic growth and westward expansion.
Since then, the railroad has played a critical role in transporting all kinds of goods to various destinations across the U.S. and beyond, undergoing many transformations and advancements along the way.
Technology such as high-speed rail, IoT-enabled containers, and advanced safety systems have made rail freight what it is today – a reliable and efficient form of transportation. But what benefits does rail transportation offer that other forms don’t?
The Unique Benefits of Rail Transportation
Due to its extensive history, railroads have a proven track record of being a long-lasting piece of infrastructure. Tracks can last for decades and often require less maintenance compared to highways or aircraft. Not only are they resilient, but they are accessible in rural and remote locations where significant highways or airports are unavailable or simply impractical. In these cases, rail provides a dependable means of access to transportation.
Freight trains can carry a large volume of goods at once. For businesses needing to ship items in bulk, such as grains, aggregates, or even machinery and automobiles, freight trains are an optimal choice.
Rail cars can have a gross weight of up to 286,000 pounds, while heavy-axle rail cars can have a gross weight of up to 315,000 pounds. For shipping on land, rail freight has the ability to carry the same amount of cargo as 300 trucks. That’s a lot of freight!
Not only can train cars carry a large volume of freight but it’s also considered to be a much safer and more efficient way of getting goods to their destination. According to the Federal Rail Administration (FRA), “The U.S. freight rail network is widely considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient system in the world.”
Rail tracks are designed to move more efficiently by running on predictable schedules and fixed routes, rarely dealing with congestion, delays, or accidents caused by human error, leading to quicker deliveries compared to trucks.
Rail transportation is also highly cost-effective. This is because the amount of cargo trains can carry lowers the cost per ton-mile due to economies of scale, and they are also more fuel-efficient, meaning less operational costs per unit of freight moved.
Shippers who decide to ship via trucks have to pay not only for the fuel, labor, and cost per unit but also the associated costs of time if a driver runs into congestion or other delays.
For businesses that have sustainability initiatives or are striving to reduce their carbon footprint, shipping via freight trains is an environmentally friendly option, believe it or not. Compared to cars, trucks, and even airplanes, trains have a much lower carbon footprint per ton. How? Again, because of the high volume of cargo they can transfer with a relatively small amount of fuel per mile traveled. Interesting, right?
Learning about all the benefits of rail transportation may have changed your mind about what makes this mode of transportation so special. From its unmatched efficiency and eco-friendly qualities to its ability to move large amounts of freight over long distances, rail freight has proven to be a central component in modern logistics.
With advancements in automation and sustainability, rail transportation is evolving to be a vital player in the future of freight. So next time you need to ship freight, using rail as your mode of transportation may be your most optimal choice.
