Two of the largest US railroads, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, announced on Tuesday a plan to combine in a $72 billion deal that would create America’s first transcontinental freight railroad.

These massive trains move iron ore, coal, and other bulk cargo on major routes in Australia, Brazil, China, the United States, and Mauritania.

The U.S. has the most railroad tracks of any country, but we're not known for our passenger trains. A look at America's rail system and the trouble with passenger trains.

RAILWAY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Imagine a future where autonomous freight trains in North America operate across long distances. This future is one the industry must consider if it wants to compete ...

In railroading, danger is omnipresent. Freight train crews, typically consisting of a conductor and an engineer, bear the awesome responsibility of keeping a critical piece of the supply chain moving.

OMAHA (AP) — When American freight trains delivered cargo after World War II, the steam-belching beasts commonly had seven people aboard — an engineer, a conductor, up to four brakemen and a fireman.

Two of the largest U.S. railroads, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, announced on Tuesday a plan to combine in a $72 billion deal that would create America's first transcontinental freight railroad.