State Rail Network
Class I Railroads
| BNSF Railway | 1,583 |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City | 18 |
| Norfolk Southern | 2 |
| Union Pacific | 2,199 |
| Total | 3,802 |
Short Line Railroads
| Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad | 18 |
| Blue Rapids Railway | 10 |
| Boot Hill & Western Railway | 10 |
| Cimarron Valley Railroad | 183 |
| Garden City Western Railway | 36 |
| Total | 2,046 |
Moving Kansas's Economy. Connecting Communities.
Kansas is much more than just the geographic center of the national rail network.
Originating
Received
State Grants
Rail Service Improvement Program
State Funded Highway/Railroad Crossing
Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE)
Rail Heritage
Abilene, Kansas built a fortune shipping other states’ cattle. Texas longhorns arrived by the millions between 1867 and 1872 on the Kansas Pacific Railway, one of two lines racing across the state after the first Kansas locomotive ran between Elwood and Wathena in 1860. Cyrus K. Holliday’s Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built south while the Kansas Pacific pushed west, launching the era of the great cattle drives. By 1917, Kansas had grown to more than nine thousand miles of track across two dozen railroads, a network built on agriculture and livestock that still defines the state’s freight rail traffic today.
Why Freight Rail Matters
Supports Manufacturing
Rail connects manufacturers with suppliers and customers across North America, efficiently moving raw materials and finished goods.
Strengthens Agriculture
Rail helps move crops, forest products, fertilizers and other agricultural goods efficiently and affordably.
Reduces Congestion
Moving freight by rail removes trucks from highways, helping reduce traffic and wear on road infrastructure.
Protects the Environment
Freight rail is significantly more fuel efficient than moving freight by truck, helping reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Rail at Work
Policy Issues Op-ed: Keeping Kansas Moving Means Getting Freight Rail Policy Right
Wichita, KS — Brecken Morel, interim president and CEO of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, makes the case for evidence-based freight rail policy in…
Safety FRA Data Shows Major Rail Safety Gains in 2025
Washington, D.C. – New data from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) shows 2025 was a historic year for freight rail safety. Accident and injury rates…
Policy Issues Rail Policy Landscape in the 117th Congress
Washington, D.C. — As the 117th Congress dives into its work—and committee assignments and leadership roles have been finalized—we now know more about the key…
44 percent
decrease
in rail rates on average from 1981 to today.
That means the average rail customer today can ship significantly more freight for about the same price they paid 40 years ago.
State Director
Kansas
Brett Sebastian
National Field DirectorBrett Sebastian joined GoRail in August 2019 and oversees its operations in the Central United States and Pennsylvania.
Featured Rail Supply Companies
Stay informed with The Spur, GoRail's monthly newsletter, covering rail news, grants, policy updates, and stories from communities nationwide.