WASHINGTON, DC – Rail Champions, powered by GoRail, announced today the launch of a new campaign urging the Unicode Consortium, the organization that sets worldwide software standards for text and emoji, to accept into its lexicon a modern freight train emoji.
For nearly two centuries, rail transportation has evolved dramatically. Yet on smartphones, computers, and digital platforms around the world, the only freight train emoji available (🚂) remains an outdated 19th century steam engine that no longer reflects the locomotives moving across America’s 140,000-mile freight rail network.
“Freight rail has evolved, but our collective imagination around the train hasn’t necessarily kept pace,” said Betsy Cantwell, President of GoRail. “We all love the steam locomotive—in part because it represents the history and progress of our nation. As we approach the 200th anniversary of freight rail in America, it’s time to update that story with a new emoji that captures today’s modern freight rail network and its powerful role in the U.S. economy.”
Freight railroads move approximately 1.5 billion tons of goods, 40% of long-distance freight, across the United States annually while helping reduce highway congestion, lower transportation emissions, and support economic growth in communities nationwide. 
Today’s freight locomotives are advanced, technology-driven machines equipped with hundreds of onboard sensors, GPS-enabled safety systems, real-time data networks, and fuel-saving automation tools. Engineers use these technologies to safely move freight across thousands of miles of track, while innovations such as Positive Train Control and predictive maintenance continue to improve safety, efficiency, and reliability across the rail network.
The campaign invites rail advocates, industry professionals, rail enthusiasts, and members of the public to sign a petition supporting the addition of a modern freight train emoji to the Unicode Standard, which governs the emojis available on digital devices and platforms worldwide.
Emojis have become a universal language, helping shape how people think about industries, ideas, and everyday life.
While the steam locomotive remains a beloved symbol of America’s rail heritage, today’s freight trains tell a different story: one of advanced technology, efficiency, and innovation. Through this campaign, GoRail hopes to give modern freight rail a place in the digital language people use every day and help ensure rail’s next 200 years are represented as clearly as its first.
