Freight Rail a Gateway to U.S. and Global Markets for Mount Rushmore State

For South Dakota grain, ethanol and other agricultural producers, freight rail provides the primary means of reaching export markets around the nation and across the globe. With demand for rail transportation only expected to increase, record railroad investments in track, equipment and technology are good news for South Dakota agriculture.

South Dakota's 10 freight railroads operate over 1,868 miles of track and employ 665 in the Mount Rushmore State.* It would have taken approximately 4.8 million additional trucks to handle the 87.1 million tons of freight that started, ended, or moved through South Dakota in 2021. Moving freight by rail prevented 1.46 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 287,000 cars off the road or planting 22.2 million trees. Farm products make up the majority of freight rail shipments beginning in South Dakota.

*2021 data

Rail at Work

South Dakota

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Featured Rail Advocates

South Dakota
Mark Mickelson
Mark Mickelson
South Dakota State Representative, Speaker of the House

Featured Rail Supply Companies

South Dakota

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NRCMA

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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

South Dakota
Brett Sebastian

Brett Sebastian

State Director

Brett Sebastian joined GoRail in August 2019 and oversees its operations in the South-Central United States and Arizona.