Railways

This Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) briefing examines the role of rail in the United States transportation sector, focusing on its potential for decarbonization and the impact of federal infrastructure investments ahead of the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.

• Railways are central to U.S. commerce and transport, with freight rail consisting of 140,000 miles of lines supporting an $80 billion industry and employing approximately 167,000 people. Freight rail is responsible for moving 28% of goods in the United States.
• Amtrak, the main provider of passenger rail in the U.S., achieved record ridership in fiscal year 2024, transporting 32.8 million passengers.
• Rail has the capacity to contribute to a decarbonized transportation sector by replacing emissions generated by planes, trucks, and cars. Potential modernization strategies include track expansion, electrification, safety improvements, and faster trains.

APA

Wynn, J., & Rosario-Montalvo, I. (2025). Railways. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052825trains

Chicago

Wynn, Jasmine, and Isabel Rosario-Montalvo. Railways. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2025. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052825trains.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wynn |first1=Jasmine |last2=Rosario-Montalvo |first2=Isabel |title=Railways |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=28 May 2025 |url=https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052825trains |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wynn2025railways, author = {Wynn, Jasmine and Rosario-Montalvo, Isabel}, title = {{Railways}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052825trains}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }