Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Monday he would focus only on Israel's "best interests" when he weighs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon on corruption charges. "It will be handled in the most correct and precise manner
This Country Has Railway Tracks That Could Circle The Earth 5 Times
Will You Believe It? This Country Has Railway Tracks That Could Encircle The Earth 5 Times
Imagine a single country with so many rail tracks that they could circle the Earth multiple times. This nation has built the largest railway network in the world, and it keeps expanding.
World's Longest Railway Network: Picture a landscape where steel rails stretch endlessly through deserts, forests, snowy mountains and bustling cities. Freight trains thunder by every few minutes, hauling everything from coal and grain to cars and electronics. This vast expanse of tracks belongs to the United States of America, home to the world's longest railway system.
According to the US Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads, the American rail network covers more than 220,000 kilometres (about 137,000 miles). Some estimates are even higher when sidings and secondary lines are included. This network connects ports with cities, farmland with factories and small towns with the coastline, forming a steel backbone that drives the nation's economy.
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The origins trace back to the 1800s, when private rail companies raced to link the East and West coasts. The completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 transformed transportation and commerce.
Over time, smaller lines merged into massive corporations that still dominate today. Unlike most countries, the United States retained mostly private ownership of railways, particularly for freight. This approach allowed rapid expansion.
Today, six major “Class I” companies, including Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and CSX, manage the primary routes.
The US rail system is primarily freight-focussed. While Europe and Japan lead in high-speed passenger travel, the United States excels at moving heavy cargo over immense distances.
Freight trains transport coal, grain, automobiles, oil and intermodal containers across thousands of kilometres.
Amtrak operates intercity passenger services, but mostly on tracks owned by freight companies. A single freight train can carry as much as 280 trucks and transport a ton of goods over 480 miles on just one gallon of fuel equivalent.
The United States has roughly 220,000 km of tracks, enough to circle the globe more than five times. The system supports over 6,000 operators, ranging from massive national companies to small local lines.
One rail stretch across the Great Plains runs nearly 500 km without a single curve. Many bridges and tunnels in use today were built over 150 years ago. Freight trains often stretch up to three kilometres, ranking among the longest in the world.
While the network dominates in length, the fastest US passenger trains reach just 240 km/h, slower than those in Europe and Japan.
The railway network underpins America's supply chains, port connections and interregional commerce. Freight rail contributes hundreds of billions in economic output and consistently reinvests in infrastructure.
Rail is also a highly fuel-efficient option: a freight train can transport one ton of cargo hundreds of miles per gallon of fuel equivalent. This efficiency makes trains a lower-emission alternative to long-haul trucking and ensures the system remains vital for commerce, sustainability and national resilience.
From its 19th-century beginnings to its modern status as the planet's largest rail network, the United States continues to rely on these rails to move goods, connect communities and power an economy unlike any other.
Source: ZeeNews
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Monday he would focus only on Israel's "best interests" when he weighs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon on corruption charges. "It will be handled in the most correct and precise manner
3 months ago
