American railways have a rich history and have played a very important role in the development of the state. Currently, in the country this transport is not so popular as aviation and automobile types. Many trains are more likely exhibits. Only romantics and people who are afraid of flying on an airplane travel on them. And the price of the ticket here is usually not much different from the cost of the flight.
A brief comparison with Russian railways
The railway of Russia and the USA is different. If the total length of the domestic highway is 87 thousand kilometers, then for Americans this figure is 220 thousand kilometers. The track gauge in Russia is 1520 mm, and in the USA - 1435 mm, as well as in Europe. In our country, 1.2 million workers are employed in the industry, while only 180,000 people are serving American highways. Only the share of freight turnover of the industry is approximately the same, which in both countries is 40%.
Origin
The history of the U.S. railways began in 1815. Their development looked very promising due to the fact that at that time in the country there was no developed cheap and fast land transport. Then Colonel John Stevens founded the New Jersey Railway Company. Initially, industrial branches began to be created for transporting goods over short distances, for example, for the export of minerals from mines. The Pennsylvania Railroad, which began operations in 1846, became the first company in the industry. Eight years later, its first route, which connected Philadelphia and Harrisburg, was officially launched.
First locomotives
If there were no big problems with the construction of the canvas, then the main problem that the first US railways encountered was providing traction. In 1826, the aforementioned John Stevenson designed and built his own steam locomotive. To test his brainchild, an engineer built his own circular track in New Jersey. Testing of the machine was successful. Three years later, Gortario Allen, being the chief engineer of a large shipping company, proposed using a simple English steam locomotive. After successful testing, it began to be used on a branch between Carbonvale and Honnesdale in Pennsylvania. In 1830, the first locomotive designed for passenger traffic was built in New York by the design of the American Peter Cooper. Over time, he established himself as a very reliable car.
Interesting fact
In the fifties of the nineteenth century, the so-called underground or underground railway launched its activities . In the USA , representatives of a secret society called themselves that. It was engaged in assisting runaway slaves of African descent from the southern states to the north. At the same time, the organization’s activities were in no way connected with transport and transportation. Members of the organization simply used the railway terminology that had become popular throughout American society.
The beginning of rapid development
It was after the appearance of the first diesel locomotives that railways in the USA began to develop actively . In the 19th century, a new mode of transport was already a serious competition to shipping companies. A special impetus to its development was given by several experiments that proved that a steam locomotive is able to cover a distance of about three to four times faster than a steamer.
In 1830, a significant event took place for the American rail transport. Then, between the cities of Ohio and Baltimore in Maryland, the first passenger train was launched and began to run on a regular basis. Initially, the public was extremely negative about steam locomotives, calling them devilish machines, but over time, it became increasingly clear to most citizens that the future lay in these vehicles.
If, as of 1840, the length of the US railways was 2755 miles, then twenty years later this figure stepped over the mark of 30 thousand miles. The construction of new routes was greatly facilitated by the development of agriculture. Since farmers worked on the market, they needed transport that could quickly and in large quantities take out the crop.
Construction of the transcontinental railway
In 1861, a civil war broke out between the North and the South. Despite this, a year after its inception, President Abraham Lincoln decided that a transcontinental US railroad should be built. It was assumed that the length of the highway will be almost three thousand kilometers. Two companies became contractors at once: Central Pacific (laid the canvas from west to east) and Union Pacific Railroad (conducted construction from east to west). The so-called meeting point was supposed to be in the center of the route. Each of the companies sought to be the first to finish their site and win this kind of competition, so the work was not always carried out according to plan. Many officials appropriated the funds allocated for the construction. If settlements were located along the railway, miserable amounts for land were offered to their residents. Moreover, for bribes from the mayors of some cities (they preferred the availability of a highway), companies repeatedly changed routes.
About 10 thousand workers from China and another 4 thousand from Ireland were involved in the construction. This was done to reduce the cost of work, because the Americans did not agree to work for the proposed amount (at best, $ 1.5 per day). Due to difficult working conditions, many builders died.
As a result, Union Pacific Railroad managed to lay 1,749 kilometers of canvas, and their opponents - 1,100 kilometers. This subsequently had a beneficial effect on the further development of the “winners”, who today have become one of the most powerful railway enterprises in the country. When the workers of the two contractors met in 1869, a golden nail was hammered into the sleeper, symbolizing the connection of the two oceans.
The effect of the construction of the transcontinental railway
Many skeptics argue that the US transcontinental railway then became a useless and senseless venture of the president. However, later it played a very significant role for the state, creating a real revolution in the country's economy and the migration of its inhabitants. In a short period of time, a huge number of Americans wishing to develop agriculture moved to the fertile western lands.
At the end of the nineteenth century, several more branches appeared that directly connected two oceans. They were better thought out, and fewer violations were made during the construction. The first railroad in the United States , paved from east to west of the country, is considered a dark spot in American history. This is not surprising, because the feat of the two companies cannot overshadow the number of workers killed and families left homeless.
Rail development after the Civil War
The civil war has shown how important and efficient rail transport is in transporting people, food, and weapons. It is not surprising that in the future the development of railways in the United States became a priority. Subsidies were provided to companies operating in the industry before construction began. In particular, the government allocated from 16 to 48 thousand dollars for each mile of canvas. In addition, the territory of 10 miles in both directions from the path passed into the ownership of companies. Eloquent is the fact that, starting in 1870, over 10 years, 242 thousand square miles of land were distributed to corporations.
In the period from 1865 to 1916, the construction of US railways was carried out on a grandiose scale. The total length of paths during this time increased from 35 to 254 thousand miles. Moreover, at the beginning of the twentieth century, both passenger and freight transportation in the country was almost completely carried out by rail.
The decline in the role of railways
During the First World War, the railway sector came under the control of the American government. Since that time, the industry has gradually begun to lose its leading position. In 1920, the railways were returned to private ownership. However, at this time, their condition worsened significantly. Together with the development of technological progress and other modes of transport, this began to lead to a gradual decrease in the role of the industry for the state economy.
But there is no need to downplay the importance that the industry played. Firstly, a transport network was created that connected the entire domestic market of the state into a single whole. Secondly, the construction of the canvas contributed to the strong growth of industries such as transport engineering and metallurgy, due to the high demand for rails, wagons and locomotives. Be that as it may, if until 1920 the development of railways was called the "golden era", then we can confidently say that since that time it has at least ended.
Today's state
Currently, few in the United States travel by rail. This is primarily due to the good development of aviation communications. And the cost of train and plane tickets is often about the same. In this regard, it is not surprising that a large share of the revenues of this industry is associated with freight transportation. The US rail network has a length of more than 220 thousand kilometers. They serve all sectors of the country's economy. Rail transportation accounts for about 40% of the national freight turnover.
Companies
All US railroad companies are privately owned. There are almost 600 of them. At the same time, the 7 largest of them account for more than half of the freight turnover in the industry. The state guarantees companies the right to independently make decisions regarding transportation tariffs. At the same time, this process is controlled by a federal body called the Land Transport Council. Privatization of the American railways is irrelevant. Companies are interested in the effective functioning and coordination of absolutely all systems. This is due to high competition with road transport. Fundamental decisions regarding the activities of railway companies are made by their shareholders. Recently, the total income of these companies has averaged around $ 54 billion a year.
Freight transportation
US Railways boasts a fairly developed and efficient freight system. Experts believe that the key to its successful work is primarily associated with their relative freedom from state regulation.
As noted above, about 40% of freight traffic in the country is provided by railway workers. This value has been growing over the past fifteen years. However, in this indicator , the US railways are inferior to their main competitor - road transport. In the context of the struggle for the client, companies in every possible way focus the attention of potential customers on their economic and environmental advantages. According to their leaders, in the near future this will still improve current performance.
Classification of freight companies
Carriers that service the US railways , according to the current classification system in the country, are divided into the following classes: first-class companies, regional companies, linear local operators and S&T carriers.
The first-class railway companies include only seven operators. They account for about 67% of the cargo turnover, and the average annual income of each exceeds the mark of 350 million dollars. Transportation, as a rule, is carried out over long distances. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 American railroad workers work in these firms.
Regional companies have an average annual income of at least $ 40 million. They typically transport from 350 to 650 miles (within several states). According to the latest data, 33 such enterprises operate in the country, and the number of employees of each of them varies within 500 employees.
Local operators carry out flights up to 350 miles and annually receive income of up to $ 40 million. In the state there are 323 firms of this class, which usually transport goods across the territory of one state.
S&T companies do not so much transport goods as they are engaged in transshipment and sorting. In addition, they specialize in deliveries within a certain area on the order of a carrier. According to the latest data, 196 such companies operate in the country, earning several tens of millions of dollars each year.
Passenger Transportation
Rail passenger transport is not very popular in the United States. The fact is that the distances between cities are usually very large, and not every person is able to sit in a chair for a day, despite its comfort. It is much faster to travel by plane, the price of a ticket for which is not so much higher than the cost of traveling by train.
In the United States, there are two types of passenger trains: short-haul and long-distance (night). The first of them uses seated-type cars. They run exclusively during the day. In the second type there are both sleeping and sitting double-decker cars. At the same time, passengers are located on the upper tier, and the lower one is designed to carry luggage. Night trains serve mainly the western part of the country.
In addition, commuter services are also provided for passenger service. The trains that provide them belong to local operators, which independently form the tariff system.
Completion
The US Railways at one time played a revolutionary role in the country's economy. Their appearance contributed to a number of positive changes, as well as the development of many industries and agriculture. Prior to the First World War, the evolution of American rail transport even went down in history as the “golden age” of railways. Be that as it may, the development of technological progress combined with the availability of alternative modes of transport has led to a gradual decrease in the role of the industry.