Empire State’s Economy Rides on Freight Rail

In the 19th century, it was railroads that united small towns and big cities, farms and factories, truly making New York the Empire State. From Long Island to Western New York and the North Country – and everywhere in between – freight rail still supports businesses and drives innovation and economic opportunity for New Yorkers.

New York's 41 freight railroads operate over 3,442 miles of track and employ 2,389 in the Empire State.* It would have taken approximately 536,000 additional truckloads to move the 9.7 million tons of freight that moved by rail in New York in 2021. Moving freight by rail prevented 2.59 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 509,000 cars off the road or planting 39.3 million trees. Intermodal and waste and scrap materials make up the majority of freight rail shipments beginning in New York. Intermodal shipments and chemicals are the state's largest rail imports.

*2021 data

Rail at Work

New York

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Featured Rail Advocates

New York
Donna Lupardo
Donna Lupardo
New York State Assemblywoman
Ryan Silva
Ryan Silva
Executive Director, New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC)
Maureen Halahan
Maureen Halahan
President & CEO, Orange County Partnership

Featured Rail Supply Companies

New York

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REMSA
Ames Construction
Amsted Rail

icon_railfreight3-4x
more fuel efficient
than trucks.


Moving freight by rail instead of trucks reduces greenhouse gas emissions an average of 75 percent.

State Director

New York
Emily Traiforos

Emily Traiforos

State Director

Emily Traiforos joined GoRail in March 2006 and oversees its operations in the Upper Midwest and Colorado.