Freight Rail Means Progress in Magnolia State
Growth in Mississippi auto manufacturing, shipbuilding and the energy sector are just a few examples of economic development facilitated by freight rail in the Magnolia State. With freight volumes forecast to increase approximately 50 percent by 2040, and a scarcity of funds for highway upkeep and improvements, the benefits of robust infrastructure investments by freight railroads are clear to see.
Mississippi's 24 freight railroads operate over 2,541 miles of track and employ 1,733 in the Magnolia State.* It would have taken approximately 5.8 million additional trucks to handle the 105.2 million tons of freight that started, ended, or moved through Mississippi in 2021. Moving freight by rail prevented 1.23 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 242,000 cars off the road or planting 18.7 million trees. Chemicals and primary metal products comprise the majority of freight rail shipments beginning in Mississippi. Chemicals and nonmetallic minerals are the largest rail imports to the state.
*2021 data
