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North America Railroading Main Page
The old North America Main Page can be found here while the refurbishing lasts...
Welcome to the North America Main page of the 4rail.net! Many of the writers of this web reference site are admirers of the railroading in North America: Canada, U.S. and Mexico. The operators in the area can be seen as the forerunners of the economical railroading. The huge mountaineous terrain and strict regulations added to the economical goals of the companies have created an unique mix of railroading unlike in any other part in the world.
Typical to railroading in North America
- A handful of huge corporations operate on their own track (in Europe the infrastructure is typically owned by countries and any company may in principle operate anywhere). This gives in many cases these an exclusive right to a certain operating area.
- Emphasis is for the most part only on nationwide freight railroading, although national Amtrak system exists. (Europe is much more passenger oriented).
- Numerous smaller private freight and public sector passenger rail operators exist.
- There is no true high speed railroading in the U.S.A., which can be seen as highly unusual because the country is the only industrialized nation that is not using the benefits of the high speed networks. However, the building phase is starting even in the U.S., how ever slowly.
- The tracks are for most part NOT electrified due to wast distances and earlier low return on the capital (where most all of the European networks are electrified).
- In recent years railroads have experiences "a new start", times are good for railroading again with volumes of transportation in steady growth. Shipping of intermodal, grain and coal are booming to name a few.
- Most freight trains are much more massive than in Europe. Using as small trains as in Europe would most likely melt down the systems capacity as the long and heavy trains are much more effective on moving the freight.
- The operating area is in constant change and competing with the other forms of transportation.
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Created for 4rail.net by John McKey. Pictures by Ilkka Siissalo, Gerry Putz, Hannu Peltola, Nick Slocombe and John McKey.
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