Topic summary
Freight railroad
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Rail freight transport.
Overview
Freight railroads' relationship with other modes of transportation varies widely. There is almost no interaction with airfreight, close cooperation with ocean-going freight, and a mostly competitive relationship with long-distance trucking and barge transport. Many businesses ship their products by rail if they are shipped long distance because it can be cheaper to ship in large quantities by rail than by truck; however barge shipping remains a viable competitor where water transport is available.