Iowa's railroad profiles
Iowa is served by 20 railroad companies, which operate 4,023 miles of track within Iowa. Three of these railroads are major national companies operating throughout much of the United States. These railroads operate 53 percent of Iowa’s total route miles, including much of the Iowa grain-gathering network.The remaining 17 smaller railroads serving Iowa consist of four regional railroads operating in Iowa and nearby states, and 13 local railroads operating in Iowa. These regional and local railroads serve 47 percent of Iowa’s route miles. *Railroads are categorized by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) based on operating revenues. Currently, a Class I railroad has operating revenues exceeding $319.3 million, a Class II railroad (often referred to as a regional railroad) has operating revenues greater than $25.5 million but less than $319.3 million, and a Class III railroad (often referred to as a shortline railroad) has operating revenues of less than $25.5 million or less, and all switching and terminal companies regardless of operating revenues.
**Iowa has two railroads owned by Canadian Pacific (Cedar River Railroad and Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad), which would be categorized as a Class I railroad if it was a domestically owned railroad and not Canadian-owned.
