Freight Rail
Overview
Georgia boasts one of the most extensive Freight Rail systems in the U.S., with some 5,000 miles of track that run through almost all of the state’s 159 counties. The system primarily consists of two Class 1 railroads—Norfolk Southern and CSX—and 25 shortlines.
Georgia DOT and Rail
Georgia DOT owns nearly 540 miles of light density rail line. Approximately 90 percent of the 540 miles is leased to a shortline operator. The remaining 10 percent is leased to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for use as a bicycle and pedestrian trail, is inactive, or is not leased.
Class I Railroads
Two major freight railroad companies, CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Corp., own and operate 71 percent of the total state system.
- CSX operates 1,626 railroad miles.
- Norfolk Southern operates 1,912 railroad miles
Light Density Lines
- 29 percent (1,433 miles) of the state’s railroad system is operated by 25 independent or short-line operators
- Norfolk Southern has approximately 851 miles of light density lines and CSX has another 242 miles
- Georgia’s light density lines carry less than 5 million gross tons of freight per year and function as local shortline service operators, primarily in rural agricultural areas
Mainlines
- 2,436 miles of the rail system are classified as "mainline track"
- Some Georgia mainlines transport more than 80 million gross tons per year, ranking them among the most heavily used in the country.
Freight Commodities
The leading freight rail commodities originating in Georgia are clay, concrete, glass, stone products, non-metallic minerals, miscellaneous mixed shipments, pulp/paper and/or allied products. The leading freight commodities terminating in Georgia are coal, farm products, chemical/allied products and miscellaneous mixed shipments.
Corridor Preservation
Georgia DOT seeks to preserve and enhance rail freight access for the state’s shippers through the strategic acquisition and rehabilitation of shortline trackage in danger of abandonment.