US freight powers on, as passenger struggles

This article looks at freight and passenger railway services in the USA. Although the network as a whole has decreased from its peak around 1920, the volume of freight traffic is now increasing greatly since privatisation in 1980. Four major companies carry 70 per cent of the business and both compete and co-operate to provide an integrated freight service across the whole North American continent. However, heavy-haul and long-distance freight are not compatible on a network with high-speed passenger services or suburban systems. Speed and reliability are poor in passenger rail and market share is less than it might be: lack of funding has prevented modernisation. Public sector suburban and commuter systems have changed little since their creation and there is minimal integration between lines, with each operator having a separate ticketing and fares system. In the city of New York there has been fresh investment in commuter services.