Wyoming Energy Powers the Nation Via Freight Rail
As the number one source of coal in the United States and the nation’s ninth-largest natural gas producer, Wyoming relies on railroads to bring in the equipment to harvest energy resources and to export this Cowboy State bounty to the nation and the world. Railroads have churned millions of dollars of private capital into new track, equipment and technology to facilitate energy production and keep Wyoming’s rail network strong, productive and safe.
Wyoming's six freight railroads operate over 1,877 miles of track and employ 2,026 in the Equality State.* It would have taken approximately 23.1 million additional truckloads to move the 416.4 million tons of freight that moved by rail in Wyoming in 2019. Moving freight by rail prevented 26 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 5.1 million cars off the road or planting 394.2 million trees. Coal makes up the majority of freight rail shipments beginning and ending in the state.
*2019 data