Welcome to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Data Stories, and thank you for signing up! This monthly series aims to find the narrative in data DRPT collects and uses, highlighting Virginia’s rail and transit community. This month, DRPT dives into rail in Virginia, both freight and passenger rail, to highlight the importance of the “Iron Horse”. In addition, this Data Story looks at the performance of DRPT’s rail grant programs and Amtrak’s ridership in Virginia.

Rail in Virginia & What Rail Moves

Virginia’s rail network extends over 3,000 route-miles with nearly 6,000 miles of track, covering all corners of the Commonwealth. Virginia’s freight rail network includes nine shortline railroads and two class-I railroads (Norfolk Southern and CSX), as well as Amtrak passenger rail service and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service.

Freight rail is crucial to Virginia’s economy, moving tens of millions of tons of goods every year and connecting businesses to the national rail network and to global markets via the Port of Virginia. Additionally, commuter and passenger rail in Virginia moves millions of people every year and continues to grow.

Note: Class-II Railroads exist, but none operate in Virginia. Railroad company classes are determined by revenue, as established by the Surface Transportation Board. Additionally, excursion trains are not included.

What does Freight Rail Move?

According to the American Association of Railroads, freight rail moved $233 billion of goods and products nationwide in 2023. Goods moved by freight include intermodal goods (for example: shipping containers moved at various stages by truck, rail, or even cargo ship), chemicals, food and agricultural products, automotive parts, construction materials, and energy products.

According to the 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan*, Virginia’s freight railroads moved the following in 2017 (the latest year complete data were available at the time the plan was developed):

*Hint: If you want to know absolutely everything there is to know about freight, passenger, and commuter rail in Virginia, the Statewide Rail Plan is the place to start! Additionally, DRPT is beginning work on the 2026 update of the Statewide Rail Plan.

DRPT’s Rail Programs and Trucks Diverted

In addition to the fast movement of goods, the creation of jobs, and the connections they provide, railroads also help relieve road congestion, reduce highway maintenance costs and repairs, and lower overall emissions by decreasing the number of trucks on the road. Freight trains can haul many times the amount of goods that a truck can, and on average one rail carload carries the equivalent of 3.4 truckloads.

DRPT’s three rail grant programs collect rail carload data to measure project performance, in addition to other metrics. This is a requirement for recipients of DRPT rail grants and is required to be reported annually for several years (depending on the grant program) after the completion of a grant project. This enables DRPT to evaluate projects and ensure that the agency is a good steward of public resources by investing limited taxpayer dollars into projects with the highest returns. Those rail grants are:

Rail Preservation Fund
Supports Virginia’s shortline railroads in maintaining a state of good repair that helps maintain the shortline network and ensure reliability

FREIGHT Program
Supports projects that add capacity to Virginia’s freight rail network, increasing the amount of goods that are transported by rail

Rail Industrial Access
Funds the construction of rail spurs that connect businesses and industries to the rail network

DRPT calculates the number of trucks diverted from Virginia’s roads and highways by funded projects. This is done by multiplying the number of rail carloads moved by each project by the average amount of truckloads it takes to carry the same amount of freight. So, for every rail carload supported by a DRPT rail grant, 3.4 truckloads were kept off Virginia’s roads and highways. The chart below shows the number of trucks diverted (and the equivalent number of rail carloads) removed from Virginia’s roads and highways by DRPT’s programs since 2017:

Sources: Bureau of Transportation Statistics & the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

Note: State supported routes are the Northeast Regional services that extend into Virginia. Long distance & other trains include the Cardinal, Crescent, Floridian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Auto Train. Additionally, the North Carolina-sponsored Carolinian serves stops in Virginia.

Rail Connects the Commonwealth

Rail is an important part of Virginia’s history, economy, and quality of life. Since the first railroad began operating in Virginia nearly 200 years ago, trains have moved people and freight across the Commonwealth. DRPT’s rail planning guides the future of passenger and freight rail, while DRPT’s rail grants ensure Virginia’s railroads continue to thrive and serve Virginia’s businesses. At the same time, our sister agency, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, is expanding passenger rail in Virginia and ensuring our rail service is best in class.

DRPT’s mission is to connect and improve the quality of life for all Virginians with innovative transportation solutions. Our vision is a connected Commonwealth with an integrated multimodal network that serves every person, every business, and every need. DRPT’s Six-Year Improvement Program provides funding for rail and public transportation initiatives across the Commonwealth, enabling Virginia’s rail and public transportation network to thrive. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to get Data Stories directly in your inbox! Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

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