Iowa's railroad profiles
Iowa is served by 19 freight railroad companies, which operate 3,925 miles of track within Iowa. Five of these railroads are major national companies operating throughout much of the United States and Canada. These railroads operate 82 percent of Iowa’s total route miles, including much of the Iowa grain-gathering network.The remaining railroads serving Iowa consist of regional railroads operating in Iowa and nearby states or local railroads operating within Iowa. These regional and local railroads serve only 18 percent of Iowa’s route miles, but provide valuable service through shorter hauls, switching operations, and provide access to the larger freight network for their customers.
| Railroad | Abbreviation | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Appanoose County Community Railroad |
APNC |
III |
| Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad |
BSV |
III |
| BNSF Railway Co. |
BNSF |
I |
| Burlington Junction Railway |
BJRY |
III |
| CBEC Railway Inc. |
CBRX |
III |
| Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. (CRANDIC) |
CIC |
III |
| CN (owner of Cedar River Railroad Co.) | CEDR |
III** |
| CN (owner of Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad) |
CC |
II** |
| Canadian Pacific (owner of Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp. (DM&E) |
DME |
III |
| D & I Railroad Co. |
DAIR |
III |
| D & W Railroad |
DWRR |
III |
| Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. |
IAIS |
II |
| Iowa Northern Railway Co. |
IANR |
III |
| Iowa River Railroad |
IARR |
III |
| Iowa Traction Railroad Co. |
IATR |
III |
| Keokuk Junction Railroad Co. |
KJRY |
III |
| Norfolk Southern Railway Co. |
NS |
I |
| Union Pacific Railroad Co. |
UP |
I |
*Railroads are categorized by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) based on operating revenues over a three year period adjusted for inflation. Currently, a Class I railroad has operating revenues exceeding $250 million, a Class II railroad (often referred to as a regional railroad) has operating revenues greater than $20 million but less than $250 million, and a Class III railroad (often referred to as a shortline railroad) has operating revenues less than $20 million, and all switching and terminal companies regardless of operating revenues.
**Iowa has three railroads owned by Canadian companies - CN ownes Cedar River Railroad and Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad:, Canadian Pacific owns Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp. (DM&E). The Canadian-owned railroads would be categorized as Class I railroads ifthey were domestically owned.
