Pub. 3 2013 Issue 2

10 AT THE CENTER OF UTAH INDUSTRY Trains in the U.S. W hen you think about trains, you may think of their heyday in the 1800s and early 1900s, before the invention of the automobile. Since the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869, the railroad has been an integral part of the nation’s economy. Trains continue to be a vital component of our transportation network, whether transporting passengers or goods. In fact, the U.S. economy is especially dependant on our rail network for transporting freight. The mining industry has a symbiotic relationship with the railroads, as mining provides the resources to make rail service possible, and railroads often are used to transport minerals and metals. According to the Association of American Railroads, in 2011 North American railroads operated 1,471,736 freight cars and 31,875 locomotives, with 215,985 employees. They originated 39.53 million carloads (averaging 63 tons each) and generated $81.7 billion in freight revenue. The largest (Class 1) U.S. railroads carried 10.17 million intermodal containers and 1.72 million trailers. Intermodal traffic was 6.2% of tonnage originated and 12.6% of revenue. The largest commodities were coal, chemicals, farm products, and nonmetallic minerals. Coal alone was 43.3% of tonnage and 24.7% of revenue. The average haul was 917 miles. Within the U.S., railroads carry 39.9% of freight by ton-mile, followed by trucks (33.4%), oil pipelines (14.3%), barges (12%) and air (0.3%). Regarding passenger service, public transportation (including light rail and commuter rail) has increased 30 percent since 1995. Salt Lake City has made large investments in building its TRAX system, and it’s not alone. At www.urbanrail.net/ am/america.htm, you can see a map of North and South America that identifies cities with light rail or subway systems, and there a lots of them. Furthermore, high-speed rail may well be a part of our nation’s future transportation network. Trains have a wonderful history, and the best may well lie ahead. The U.S. mining industry is vital to making it all happen. 