Mountaineer State a Vital Link in North American Rail Network
Although domestic coal consumption has waned, the Mountaineer State remains a “railroad state.” As intermodal shipments and traffic in other energy products pick up steam, West Virginia is looking to a more diversified freight mix to revive rail traffic and boost the economy.
West Virginia's 11 freight railroads operate over 2,141 miles of track and employ 1,838 in the Mountain State.* It would have taken approximately 9.2 million additional truckloads to move the 166.4 million tons of freight that moved by rail in West Virginia in 2019. Moving freight by rail prevented 3.75 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 735,000 cars off the road or planting 56.8 million trees. Coal makes up the majority of freight rail shipments beginning and ending in West Virginia.
*2019 data
Policy Issues 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…
Economic Impact Washington, D.C. — The allure of railroading in America is undeniable. It’s an intrinsic part of our nation’s history and identity—steel wheels on steel rail…
Policy Issues Group Letter Featuring Signatories from 46 States Calls on Policymakers to Preserve Regulatory Balance for Freight Railroads and Customers Washington, D.C. — More than 1000…
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
West Virginia
Let's Subscribe
Subscribe below to get regular updates from GoRail. For our weekly newsletter, join the GoRail Mail list and for a daily update of what's new. 
