Ohio | GoRail

State Rail Network

Class I Railroads

Canadian National	4
Canadian Pacific Kansas City	30
CSX Transportation	1,747
Norfolk Southern	1,905
Total	3,686

Short Line Railroads

Akron Barberton Cluster Railway	68
Ann Arbor Railroad	5
Ashland Railway	56
Ashtabula, Carson & Jefferson Railroad	6
Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad	48
Bucyrus Industrial Railroad	5
Camp Chase Railway	15
Central Railroad Company of Indiana	29
Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad	139
Cincinnati Eastern Railroad	70
Cleveland & Cuyahoga Railway	12
Cleveland Port Railway	1
Cleveland Works Railway	10
Columbus & Ohio River Railroad	316
East Ohio Valley Railway	12
Grand River Railway	3
Indiana & Ohio Railway	594
Indiana Eastern Railroad	14
Indiana Northeastern Railroad	9
Kanawha River Railroad	127
Katahdin Railcar Services	12
Lake Terminal Railroad	6
Mahoning Valley Railway	53
Napoleon, Defiance and Western Railway	50
Newburgh & South Shore Railroad	5
Northern Ohio & Western Railway	25
Ohio Central Railroad	122
Ohio South Central Railroad	60
Ohio Southern Railroad	42
Ohio Terminal Railway	13
R. J. Corman Railroad – Cleveland Line	69
R. J. Corman Railroad – Western Ohio Lines	93
Republic Short Line	1
South Point & Ohio Railroad	1
Toledo Industrial Railroad	1
Warren and Trumbull Railroad	4
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway	524
Youngstown & Austintown Railroad	5
Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad	35
Youngstown Belt Railroad	31

Total	2,691

2022 Source: Association of American Railroads (AAR). Data represents most recent available annual reporting.

Moving Ohio's Economy. Connecting Communities.

Dating back to the 19th century, railroading in the Buckeye State was critical to economic development.

Originating

Top Commodities Originating

Crushed Stone & Sand 8.5M Tons | 79.6K Cars

Grain 8.1M Tons | 75K Cars

Intermodal 7.8M Tons | 507.2K Cars

Steel Products 6.6M Tons | 73.3K Cars

Metallic Ores 5.6M Tons | 56.3K Cars

Other 21.9M Tons | 302.1K Cars

Received

Top Commodities Received / Terminated

Crushed Stone & Sand 10.2M Tons | 93.6K Cars

Coal 9.1M Tons | 81.4K Cars

Waste & Scrap 9.1M Tons | 94.5K Cars

Chemicals 7M Tons | 72.6K Cars

Intermodal 6.4M Tons | 507.9K Cars

Other 23.6M Tons | 294.5K Cars

OHIO'S

State Grants

Ohio Rail Development Commission Grants

Rail

ORDC wishes to support a fully integrated, well-managed transportation system that drives business growth, prosperity, job creation and retention. In partnership with the private railroads, ORDC desires to create a fast, frequent and reliable rail network that connects Ohio to the national transportation system.ORDC wishes to support sustainable rail programs and projects that enhance Ohio's environment.Working with the railroads, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Transportation, ORDC wishes to maintain a safe rail system. Typically small dollar grants, focused on short lines and customer site development and support

Eligibility: Interested in projects which foster economic development, safety, environmental benefits, and rail efficiency. Examples include: Preserving and enhance existing rail lines and corridors, Providing rail access to retain existing and attract new businesses, Providing Ohio's communities and industries with transportation options, connectivity and opportunities, Encouraging investment in Ohio, Increasing number of locations with warning devices, Increasing number of at-grade crossings closed, Reducing derailments and other track-related safety incidents, Improving environmental quality, especially in terms of air quality, Improving on-time performance, Preserving, maintaining, expanding and modernizing Ohio's rail system, including main lines and branch lines, Preserving existing tracks and rail rights-of-way for future use, Improving access to global and domestic markets through seamless intermodal connectivity, and Providing improved transportation choices for Ohio communities and industries

Granting Agency / Department: ORDC

Funding Cycle / Dates: Rolling application, currently open

Grade Crossing Elimination Program

Rail

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

See All

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…

Infrastructure

Focus on Rail Infrastructure: Our Favorite Projects

If you’ve ever read our blog, you might be familiar with some of the big rail infrastructure stats—say, for example, the length of the North…

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…

Featured Rail Supply Companies

See All

icon_railfreight

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

Ohio

Mike Neal

State Director

As GoRail’s Midwest State Director, Mike Neal brings more than 15 years of experience across state government, regulatory oversight, political operations, and public affairs.

Get to know Mike