The Rail Network is a comprehensive database of the nation's railway system at the 1:100,000scale or better. The data set covers all 50 States plus the District of Columbia.

© Acknowledgment of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) This layer is sourced from maps.bts.dot.gov.

The North American Rail Network (NARN) Rail Lines: Class I Freight Railroads View dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a subset of the NARN Rail Lines dataset that show the ownership and trackage rights for all the Class I freight railroads: “Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF),†"Canadian National (CN) Railway," "Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway," "CSX Transportation," "Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway," "Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railway," and "Union Pacific (UP)". It is derived from the North American Rail Network (NARN) Lines dataset, and for more information please consult, https://doi.org/10.21949/1519415. The NARN Rail Lines dataset is a database that provides ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference for North America's railway system at 1:24,000 or better within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1528950

USA Railroads is a comprehensive database of the nation's railway system at 1:24,000 to 1:100,000 scale. The data set covers all 50 States plus the District of Columbia.This hosted feature service displays at scales up to 1:1,500,000.

The North American Rail Network (NARN) Rail Lines: CPKC View dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a subset of the NARN Rail Lines dataset that represents the ownership and trackage rights for the Class I railroad “Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).†PLEASE NOTE: “Canadian Pacific (CP)†and “Kansas City Southern (KCS)†have merged per a business prospective to form “Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).†However, this is not yet reflected in the North American Rail Network (NARN) until the dispatching is unified. This view layer has combined “Canadian Pacific (CP)†and “Kansas City Southern (KCS)†per their ownerships and trackage rights as stipulated in the NARN. It is derived from the North American Rail Network (NARN) Lines dataset, and for more information please consult, https://doi.org/10.21949/1519415. The NARN Rail Lines dataset is a database that provides ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference for North America's railway system at 1:24,000 or better within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1528950

US Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Web Map

In the 1800s, the spread of railroads enabled the growth and spread of the United States. Although slow by today’s standards, trains traveled more quickly than other forms of transportation available at the time. By train, it took roughly four days to reach San Francisco from Omaha, Nebraska. By contrast, it had taken covered wagons four to six months, and stagecoaches around a month. In addition to travel, railroads facilitated trade and economic growth. Prior to railroads, people relied on a system of roads and canals for transportation of goods and crops. But this system could be unreliable depending on road conditions, the weather, and many other factors. Trains brought products made in the factories of the East and Midwest to the rest of the country and carried farm produce and livestock to urban markets. The first railroad charter was granted to John Stevens in 1815, and several railroads were in service by 1830. Early rail development was haphazard, financed by individual investors and built without government oversight. Rail gauges, or the distance between rails, could be different depending on the company. This caused a lot of problems for connecting railroads, because only trains designed for that gauge could use those sections of track. Despite miles of track being built, people were generally still skeptical about the usefulness of railroads. In 1843, the Western Railroad of Massachusetts proved to Americans that trains could transport crops and other goods long distances at low costs. By 1861, there were 35,400 kilometers (22,000 miles) of track in the North and only 15,300 kilometers (9,500 miles) in the South. Troops and supplies could be transported quickly using trains. Many battles, like the Battle of Bull Run, were fought over control of Southern railway depots, and tracks were used to move both Confederate and Union soldiers to battles. After the Civil War, railway construction increased significantly. In 1862, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act with the goal of building a transcontinental railroad. The first, built by the Central Pacific Railroad Company in the West and the Union Pacific in the Midwest, was completed in 1869. Following roughly the route previously taken by the Pony Express and the California Trail, the route was called the Overland Route. Construction was dangerous, as rail crews had to cross mountains, rivers, and other difficult terrain. For this work, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific relied mainly on immigrant labor, recruiting Chinese immigrants in the West and Irish immigrants in the Midwest. Formerly enslaved people and Mormons were also part of these crews. Between 10,000 and 15,000 Chinese workers completed an estimated 90 percent of work on the Central Pacific’s portion of track, facing racism, violence, and discrimination. Chinese workers were often paid less than white workers and were given the most undesirable and dangerous jobs. The Overland Route was one of the first land-grant railroads. To fund construction of such a long and expensive project, the U.S. government gave railroad companies millions of acres of land that they could sell for profit. Following this model, many more railroads were built, including four additional transcontinental railroads. These new railroads took southern and northern routes across the country. In addition to connecting existing cities on the West Coast to the rest of the country, the railroads also influenced where people settled. Trains made multiple stops to refuel, make repairs, and take on more food and water. In return, towns grew around these stops. More than 7,000 cities and towns west of the Missouri River started as Union Pacific depots and water stops. In 1890, the U.S. Bureau of the Census announced that the “Frontier was closed.” The railroads had played a large role in that milestone. This dataset was researched and built by Dr. Jeremy Atack, Professor Emeritus and Research Professor of Economics at Vanderbilt University. His procedure and sources, as well as downloadable files, are documented here.

The North American Rail Network (NARN) Rail Nodes dataset was created in 2016 and was updated on April 09, 2025 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The NARN Rail Nodes dataset is a database of North America's railway system at 1:24,000 or better within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada. The dataset holds topology of the network and provides geographic location information. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1529070

FRA Grade Crossings is a spatial file that originates from the National Highway-Rail Crossing, Inventory Program. The program is to provide information to Federal, State, and local governments, as well as the railroad industry for the improvements of safety at highway-rail crossing.

© Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) This layer is sourced from maps.bts.dot.gov.

The SPATIAL LOCATION of railroads/ is based upon locations as given in the National Transportation Atlas Database (United States Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics) and contemporary and historical U.S. topographical maps (United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey)./The EXISTENCE of a railroad serving locations at a specific date (see variable "InOpBy") was determined using the following resources: 1911: state maps from William D. Whitney and Benjamin E. Smith (eds) The Century dictionary and cyclopedia, with a new atlas of the world, New York: Century Co., 1911 (using scanned images from http://www.goldbug.com); 1903: regional maps from Rand McNally, Rand McNally & Co.'s Enlarged Business Atlas And Shippers' Guide ... Showing In Detail The Entire Railroad System ... Accompanied By A New And Original Compilation And Ready Reference Index…, Chicago: Rand McNally & Company, 1903 (using images 2844006, 2844007 and 2844008 from http://www.davidrumey.com); 1898: regional maps from Rand McNally, United States. Rand, McNally & Co., Map Publishers and Engravers, Chicago, 1898. Rand, McNally & Co.'s New Business Atlas Map of the United States…, Chicago: Rand McNally & Company, 1898 (using images 0772003, 0772004 and 0772005 from http://www.davidrumey.com); 1893: state maps from Rand McNally and Company, Rand, McNally & Co.'s enlarged business atlas and shippers guide ; containing large-scale maps of all the states and territories in the United States, of the Dominion of Canada, the Republic of Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and Cuba. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1893 (images courtesy of Murray Hudson, www.antiquemapsandglobes.com) except for Louisiana, Maryland/Delaware, Michigan, and Mississippi which were taken from Rand McNally, Universal Atlas of the World, Chicago: Rand McNally, 1893 (images courtesy of the University of Alabama Cartographic Lab) and Texas which was digitized by Amanda Gregg from Rand McNally & Co. Indexed county and railroad pocket map and shippers' guide of Texas : accompanied by a new and original compilation and ready reference index, showing in detail the entire railroad system ...Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., c1893 (Yale University Beinecke Library, Call Number: Zc52 893ra); 1889: state maps from Rand McNally, Rand, McNally & Co.'s enlarged business atlas and shippers guide…, Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1889 (using images 2094016 through 2094062 from http://www.davidrumey.com); 1881: state maps from Rand McNally, New Indexed Business Atlas and Shippers Guide, Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1881 (photographed by Amanda Gregg from a copy in the Yale University Beinecke Library, 2009 Folio 63); 1877: state maps from Rand McNally and Company, Rand McNally & Co’s Business Atlas, Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1877 (digitized by Matthew Van den Berg from a copy in the Library of Congress, Call no. G1200 .R3358 1877); 1872: regional maps from Warner & Beers, Atlas of the United States, Chicago: Warner & Beers, 1872 (using images 2585069 through 2585078 from http://www.davidrumey.com);1868: national map by J. T. Lloyd, Lloyd's New Map of the United States The Canadas and New Brunswick From The Latest Surveys Showing Every Railroad & Station Finished … 1868, New York: J. T. Lloyd, 1868 (using image 2859002 from http://www.davidrumey.com)1863: national map by J. T. Lloyd, Lloyd's New Map of the United States The Canadas And New Brunswick From the latest Surveys Showing Every Railroad & Station Finished to June 1863, New York: J. T. Lloyd, 1863 (using image 2591002 from http://www.davidrumey.com)1861: regional maps by G. R. Taylor and Irene D. Neu, The American Railroad Network 1861-1890, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1956;1858: national map by Hugo Stammann, J. Sage & Son's new & reliable rail road map comprising all the railroads of the United States and Canadas with their stations and distances, Buffalo, NY: J Sage & Sons, 1858 using image rr000360 from the Library of Congress at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3701p.rr000360;1856: national map by Richard S. Fisher, Dinsmore's complete map of the railroads & canals in the United States & Canada carefully compiled from authentic sources by Richard S. Fisher, editor of the American Rail Road & Steam Navigation Guide, New York, 1856 using image rr000300 from the Library of Congress at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3701p.rr000300;1854: national map by E. D. Sanford, H. V. Poor's rail road map showing particularly the location and connections of the North East & South West Alabama Rail Road, by E. D. Sanford, Civil Engineer, n.p.: 1854 using image rr004950 from the Library of Congress at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3701p.rr004950;1852: national map by J. H. Colton, Colton's Map Of The United States, The Canadas &c. Showing The Rail Roads, Canals & Stage Roads: With Distances from Place to Place, New York: J. H. Colton, 1852 (using image 0172002 from http://www.davidrumey.com)1850 and earlier dates: Curran Dinsmore, Dinsmore & Company's new and complete map of the railway system of the United States and Canada; compiled from official sources, under the direction of the editor of the "American Railway Guide.", New York: 1850, the early railroad database assembled by Professor Milton C. Hallberg (deceased, Pensylvania State University) and appearing on http://oldrailhistory.com/, various railroad histories, on-line google search results and Wikipedia entries for specific railroads appearing in Hallberg’s database. Digitized maps were geo-referenced using ArcGIS 10’s spline algorithm against the National Historical Geographic Information System’s 2009 TIGER-based historical state and county boundary files (see www.nhgis.org) and the U.S. National Atlas’s database of cities and town.No effort was made to identify or preserve double tracking. Sidings, yards, and turnouts, etc., were deleted whenever possible absent any knowledge as to when these features were constructed.See Jeremy Atack "Procedures and Issues Relating to the Creration of Historical Transportation Shapfiles of Navigabale Rivers, Canals, and Railroads in the United States" available at https://my.vanderbilt.edu/jeremyatack/files/2015/09/HistoricalTransportationSHPfilesDocumenation.pdf. Also Jeremy Atack, "On the Use of Geographic Informations Systems in Economic History" Journal of Economic History, 73:2 (June 2013): 313-338. Also available at https://my.vanderbilt.edu/jeremyatack/files/2011/08/EHAPresidentialAddress.pdfRevision History: Edited = 1 ==> minor modifications by Jeremy Atack, September 20, 2015 amending dates for "InOpBy" and/or endpoints to fix microfractures and inconsistencies,1861 or earlier.= 2 ==> JA; 9/21/2015 switched dates and names (1861-1903) on Charleston & Savannah RR just west of Ashley River to accurately reflect LOC map for this RR= 3 ==> JA: 12/22/2015 modification to RR dates and locations around Baltimore, New York city, Philadelphia and Washington DC reflecting (some but not all) of the 1860 mapping by C. Baer et al., Canals and Railroads of the Mid-Atlantic States, 1800-1860 (Hagley Foundation 1981)SHP file edited 5/9/2016 to fix error message in ArcCatalog caused by 4 "phantom" features (InOpBy=blank/zero) that had no geometry associated with them.

As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. This transportation service depicts railroads based on TIGER/Line data provided through U.S. Census Bureau and road data from U.S. Forest Service. Data include freight lines of the railroad system in the United States, including some light rail and commuter rail lines.. For display and cartographic purposes, please refer to the USGS reference layer for Railroad Labels.Please note that some of the TIGER/Line data includes limited corrections done by USGS. The datasets managed by the U.S. Census Bureau and uncorrected by the USGS are available as map services that include coarse-scale Railroads. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain transportation data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. Additional information on the transportation data model are also available through The National Map.

The North American Rail Network (NARN) Rail Lines: BNSF View dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a subset of the NARN Rail Lines dataset that show the ownership and trackage rights for the Class I railroad “Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF).†It is derived from the North American Rail Network (NARN) Lines dataset, and for more information please consult, https://doi.org/10.21949/1519415. The NARN Rail Lines dataset is a database that provides ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference for North America's railway system at 1:24,000 or better within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1528950

The GIS Web Mapping Application is design to have the look and feel as Google Earth. The primary functionality is to provide the user information about FRA's rail lines, rail crossings, freight stations, and mileposting.

This line shapefile includes Global Map data showing railroads in the conterminous United States and Alaska. The data are a modified version of the National Atlas of the United States 1:1,000,000-Scale Railroads of the United States. This layer is part of the 1997-2014 edition of the National Atlas of the United States.

The North American Rail Network (NARN) Rail Lines: UP View dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a subset of the NARN Rail Lines dataset that show the ownership and trackage rights for the Class I railroad “Union Pacific (UP).†It is derived from the North American Rail Network (NARN) Lines dataset, and for more information please consult, https://doi.org/10.21949/1519415. The NARN Rail Lines dataset is a database that provides ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference for North America's railway system at 1:24,000 or better within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1528950

North American Rail Network LinesThis Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data, displays the North American Rail Network (NARN). Per BTS, "NARN Rail Lines dataset was created...from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and is part of the...National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). It is a database that provides ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference for North America's railway system...within the United States. The data set covers all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada.It can be used within the public, the federal government, rail industry, state DOTs, and academia for routing, mapping and analysis."Main sub network (ID #383590)Data currency: Current Federal service (NTAD North American Rail Network Lines)NGDAID: 145 (North American Rail Network Lines)For more information: North American Rail Network Lines; Rail Network DevelopmentSupport documentation: North American Rail Network LinesFor feedback please contact: Esri_US_Federal_Data@esri.comNGDA Data SetThis data set is part of the NGDA Transportation Theme Community. Per the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC), Transportation is defined as the "means and aids for conveying persons and/or goods. The transportation system includes both physical and non-physical components related to all modes of travel that allow the movement of goods and people between locations".For other NGDA Content: Esri Federal Datasets

The statistic shows the number of freight cars in service (owned and leased) of U.S. class I railroads at the end of the year 2009. Union Pacific had 83,917 owned and leased freight cars in service in 2009. The Union Pacific Railroad is the largest railroad network in the U.S. Its route map covers most of the central and western United States.A class I railroad in the U.S. is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue. Smaller railroads are classified as class II resp. class III.

Connecticut Railroads is a 1:24,000-scale, feature-based layer that includes railroad features on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps for the State of Connecticut. This layer only includes features located in Connecticut. The layer is based on information from USGS topographic quadrangle maps published between 1969 and 1984 and does not represent the railroad system in Connecticut at any one particular point in time. The layer does not depict current conditions and excludes many railroads that have been built, modified, or removed since the time these topographic quadrangle maps were published. The layer includes railroad tracks, bridges, drawbridges, roundhouses, sidings, tracks, tunnels, underpasses, and stations. It does not include train schedule or track related information. Features are linear and represent railroad track centerlines. Attribute information is comprised of codes to cartographically represent (symbolize) rail features on a map. This layer was originally published in 1994. The 2005 edition includes the same rail features published in 1994, but the attribute information has been slightly modified and made easier to use.

An updated version of this product can be found at North American Rail LinesNorth American Rail LinesThis Federal Railroad Administration map layer displays North America's railway system. The rail network is a comprehensive layer of North America's railway system. The data set covers Canada, Mexico, and all 50 states including the District of Columbia in the U.S.Data currency: Current Federal Service (See Service Directory > "Service Description" for currency date)Data modifications: NoneFor more information: North American Rail Lines (National) - National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) North American Rail LinesFor feedback please contact: ArcGIScomNationalMaps@esri.com.Thumbnail source image courtesy of Alger Cugun

Historic rail line locations throughout Pierce County sourced from Washington State Archive and Bureau of Land Management historic maps dated from 1850's to 2010. Please read metadata for additional information (https://matterhorn.co.pierce.wa.us/GISmetadata/pdbplan_historic_railroads.html). Any data download constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use (https://matterhorn.co.pierce.wa.us/Disclaimer/PierceCountyGISDataTermsofUse.pdf).

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the pattern of the Canadian railway network. Lines of the principal railway companies are shown in colour, while those for smaller companies have the name of the operator written beside their lines. The map gives substantial US coverage as well: it shows links to US rail companies, and also the location of American lines owned by Canadian railway companies. The map also has a table listing railway distances between 14 major centres.