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NORTH AMERICAN RAIL NETWORK

Explore the Class I railroads.

Compare the seven Class I railroad networks represented across North America, explore where they operate, and find freight facilities and providers associated with each railroad in Commtrex.

Explore the networks ↓Find a Provider →Explore all railroads
SEVEN CLASS I NETWORKSUNITED STATES · CANADA · MEXICO
Track owned by each railroad in FRA rail network data (2017), simplified. Select a railroad to highlight its network. Reporting-mark labels and the legend identify each railroad.
Class I railroads

Seven major railroad networks. One freight system.

Class I railroads form the long-haul backbone of much of the North American rail network, connecting with ports, terminals, industrial facilities, regional railroads, and short lines across the continent.

Explore each railroad's represented network, documented connections, and freight locations in Commtrex.

Class I network map

See the seven networks together.

Explore the represented Class I railroad networks across North America and highlight an individual railroad to understand its geographic footprint.

Explore each railroad

Choose a network to explore.

Open an individual railroad page to explore its represented network, documented railroad connections, freight locations, and provider options.

Compare Class I railroads

Compare network coverage and Commtrex freight context.

Use represented network and facility data to understand how the seven Class I railroads differ geographically and where Commtrex has associated freight locations.

Seven Class I railroads in a fixed order, not a ranking.
RAILROADMOST OWNED TRACKCOUNTRIESFACILITIES ON COMMTREXDOCUMENTED INTERCHANGESEXPLORE
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway CompanyBNSFTexas · Montana · North Dakota · MinnesotaUnited States · CanadaUnavailable598Explore BNSF →
Union Pacific Railroad CompanyUPTexas · California · Kansas · IllinoisUnited StatesUnavailable718Explore UP →
CSX TransportationCSXFlorida · Kentucky · Georgia · OhioUnited States · CanadaUnavailable558Explore CSX →
Norfolk Southern Railway CompanyNSVirginia · Ohio · Georgia · PennsylvaniaUnited StatesUnavailable630Explore NS →
Canadian Pacific Kansas CityCPKCSaskatchewan · Ontario · Alberta · ManitobaCanada · United States · MexicoUnavailable293Explore CPKC →
Canadian National RailwayCNBritish Columbia · Alberta · Ontario · QuebecCanada · United StatesUnavailable209Explore CN →
Ferrocarril Mexicano (GFM)MexicoUnavailable7Explore Ferromex →

  • Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway CompanyBNSF

    Most owned track
    Texas · Montana · North Dakota · Minnesota
    Countries
    United States · Canada
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    598
    Explore BNSF →

  • Union Pacific Railroad CompanyUP

    Most owned track
    Texas · California · Kansas · Illinois
    Countries
    United States
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    718
    Explore UP →

  • CSX TransportationCSX

    Most owned track
    Florida · Kentucky · Georgia · Ohio
    Countries
    United States · Canada
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    558
    Explore CSX →

  • Norfolk Southern Railway CompanyNS

    Most owned track
    Virginia · Ohio · Georgia · Pennsylvania
    Countries
    United States
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    630
    Explore NS →

  • Canadian Pacific Kansas CityCPKC

    Most owned track
    Saskatchewan · Ontario · Alberta · Manitoba
    Countries
    Canada · United States · Mexico
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    293
    Explore CPKC →

  • Canadian National RailwayCN

    Most owned track
    British Columbia · Alberta · Ontario · Quebec
    Countries
    Canada · United States
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    209
    Explore CN →

  • Ferrocarril Mexicano (GFM)

    Countries
    Mexico
    Facilities
    Unavailable
    Interchanges
    7
    Explore Ferromex →

Facility counts are represented facilities associated with each railroad in Commtrex, not available capacity. Interchanges count documented interchange places only, never line crossings; “None represented” means the interchange registry Commtrex uses has no rows for that railroad, not that it has no interchanges. Most owned track lists up to four states or provinces. Route miles are not shown: Commtrex has no canonical route-mile source. No ratings, ranks or performance measures are shown.

RAILROAD CONNECTIONS

The Class I network is only part of the rail system.

Many freight locations connect to a Class I railroad through a regional or short line railroad. Understanding the serving railroad and the connecting railroad helps preserve the difference between direct service and network access.

  1. FREIGHT FACILITY
  2. SERVING REGIONAL / SHORT LINE
  3. DOCUMENTED INTERCHANGE
  4. CLASS I RAILROAD
  5. BROADER NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK

The railroad nearest a facility is not necessarily the railroad serving it.

A Class I connection does not necessarily mean direct Class I service.

  • RAIL-SERVEDis not the same asNEAR RAIL
  • DIRECT RAIL SERVICEis not the same asCONNECTING RAIL SERVICE
  • SERVING RAILROADis not the same asNEAREST RAILROAD
  • DOCUMENTED INTERCHANGEis not the same asGEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY

Document the connection. Map the proximity. Keep the two distinct.

Explore regional & short line railroads →Explore all railroads
Freight locations

Find freight facilities on a Class I network.

Choose a railroad to explore transload, storage, terminal, warehouse, and other represented freight locations associated with that rail line in Commtrex.

Results include only facilities that Commtrex data associates with the selected rail line. Distance to track, nearest railroad, shared ZIP code and network overlap are not used.

The freight network

Rail does not operate in isolation.

Follow Class I railroad networks into the ports, terminals, transload facilities, storage locations, trucking services, and industrial sites that support freight movement across North America.

CLASS I RAILROAD
NETWORK DATA

Know what the network tells you.

Commtrex combines railroad-network context with represented facility and relationship data. Those data types answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable.

  1. 01

    RAILROAD NETWORK

    SHOWS

    Represented railroad geography.

    DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISH
    • Active operation on every segment
    • Service to every nearby facility
    • Current capacity
    • Shipment acceptance
  2. 02

    DOCUMENTED INTERCHANGE

    SHOWS

    A represented railroad-to-railroad connection.

    DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISH
    • Service frequency
    • Transit time
    • Freight rate
    • Current operating capacity
  3. 03

    FACILITY RELATIONSHIP

    SHOWS

    A facility represented in Commtrex as associated with the railroad.

    DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISH
    • Current available capacity
    • Commodity acceptance
    • Equipment availability
    • Guaranteed service
  4. 04

    GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY

    SHOWS

    That infrastructure or a location is nearby.

    DOES NOT ESTABLISH
    • Rail service
    • Interchange
    • Affiliation
    • Access

Document the connection. Map the proximity. Keep the two distinct.

Transload & Class I rail

Connect rail networks with truck-served freight locations.

Transload facilities help move freight between rail and truck, extending rail access beyond locations with direct rail service. Some Class I railroads also maintain or market dedicated transload programs.

Not every transload facility belongs to a railroad program.

Explore Transload Facilities →Find a Provider
FIND CAPACITY

Have freight that needs a rail-connected solution?

Tell Commtrex what needs to move, where, when, and what transportation, facility, storage, or service requirements matter.

Find Capacity →Find a Provider
  1. 01FREIGHT REQUIREMENT
  2. 02RAIL NETWORK
  3. 03FACILITY / PROVIDER
  4. 04CAPACITY PATH
Class I railroads FAQ

Understanding the Class I network

What is a Class I railroad?

Class I is a railroad classification used for the largest freight railroads, which operate long-haul networks across North America. It is a regulatory and industry category, not a Commtrex ranking. Classification thresholds can change over time.

How many Class I railroads are represented on Commtrex?

This page brings together seven Class I railroad networks: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, Union Pacific Railroad Company, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian National Railway, and Ferrocarril Mexicano (GFM).

How can I find a transload facility on a specific Class I railroad?

Choose the railroad in Find a Provider to explore represented transload and other freight facilities associated with that rail line. A result does not mean the facility has current capacity.

Does being near a Class I railroad mean a facility is served by it?

No. Geographic proximity to railroad infrastructure does not establish rail service. Use documented railroad relationships to determine which railroad is represented as serving a facility or property.

Can a short line connect a facility to a Class I railroad?

Yes. A facility may be directly served by a regional or short line railroad that interchanges with a Class I railroad. The serving railroad and the connecting Class I network remain distinct relationships.

Does a facility listed on a Class I railroad have available capacity?

Not necessarily. A represented railroad relationship or facility capability does not establish current capacity, equipment availability, or acceptance of a specific shipment.

Can I compare the seven Class I railroad networks?

Use the network map and comparison section on this page to compare represented geographic coverage and Commtrex freight-location context, then open an individual railroad page for more detail.

COMMTREX RAIL NETWORK

Start with the railroad. Follow the freight network.

Explore Class I railroads, documented connections, freight locations, providers, and infrastructure across the Commtrex network.

Explore the seven railroads ↑Find a Provider
  1. CLASS I RAILROAD
  2. REGIONAL + SHORT LINE
  3. FREIGHT LOCATIONS
  4. PROVIDERS