Rail is a Significant Mover of Commodities

Rail

Michigan’s rail system has approximately 3,600 miles of rail corridors, operated by 29 railroads. Four of the seven Class I railroads operate in Michigan. The system carries about 17 percent of all the state’s freight tonnage and 21 percent of the commodities by value. This system also supports three intercity passenger-rail routes. The system is almost exclusively privately owned and financed by the railroad industry.

According to the statewide Freight Primer Report produced by MDOT, the majority of freight in Michigan is transported by truck and rail. In 2013, 338.1 million tons of freight were moved by truck, accounting for 67 percent of the tonnage moved in the state. In the same year, 100.4 million tons of freight were moved by rail, accounting for 20 percent of the tonnage moved in the state. The following charts display the top 10 commodities moved by truck and rail throughout Michigan in 2013 and 2018.

Two regional rail systems serve the MATS area, Lake State Railway and the Huron and Eastern Railway. Between the two, they now control nearly 800 miles of track, and move over 100,000 cars per year. In addition, both are owned by larger infrastructure companies, and have access to much greater facilities (Class I railways) nationwide.

These are some of the specific materials moved by the two regional rail systems serving the MATS area.

• Agricultural Products

• Aggregates

• Building Materials

• Cement

• Chemicals

• Fertilizer

• Forest Products

• Machinery

• Metals

• Petroleum Products

• Plastics

• Transportation Equipment