Top 10 companies that own the largest railroads in the world
The largest railroads in the world are spread over several countries, with the United Statesbeing the most prominent, which is the country that invests the most in this sector and which has the largest railroad network among all nations, with more than 200,000 km in length.
The railroad sector is essential for the great nations of the world, as it is a mode of transport with logistics costs cheaper than road, for example.
That is why large companies, both state-owned and privately owned in China, the United States, Canada and Germany, for example, which are developed countries, invest heavily to have a railroad line that covers the extension of their territory.
In addition, precisely because of this importance and because of the great activity that this sector performs, it becomes extremely profitable.
We know that the concept of “the world's largest railroads” is somewhat vague. To make our list of the top 10 companies that own the largest railroads in the world, we selected two main criteria: the companies' profitability and the size of their railroad networks.
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Importance of railroads
Before talking about the biggest railroad companies in the world, it is interesting to give a brief historical context to understand why these great powers in the world invest so much in this sector.
Well, the first point is that railroads were the first transport modes built that did not use animal traction, back in the 19th century. In this sense, for a long time the railroad sector was the only solution for cargo transportation in the main countries in the world.
Thus, it was important to maintain this sector in these countries, investing in the railroads that already existed and also in the creation of new ones, something that in Brazil, for example, left much to be desired.
Even with the growth of the automobile industry, which caused investments in highways to grow considerably all over the world, many countries still prioritize the railroad sector, keeping it as the main mode of national transport.
This happens because of the advantages that this modal provides for the country, benefits that are superior to highways, for example. Among these benefits are:
- Greater job opportunity;
- Greater volume of cargo transported in one trip;
- Less energy consumption;
- Decrease in accidents;
- Important contribution to cargo flow;
- Lower freight and fuel costs;
- Others.
Now, knowing the main advantages of the railroad sector and why these countries, like those mentioned above, invest so much in this sector, it is time to present which are the 10 companies that own the largest railroads in the world, essentially taking into account the revenue of these railroads and the size of their meshes.
10- Canadian National railroad Company
To start our list, we have the Canadian National railroad Company, the largest and most important Canadian railroad company, owning one of the largest railroads in the world.
There are more than 32 thousand km of the company's railroad line, operating throughout the national territory and also in the neighboring country, the United States.
Finally, its economic value also surpasses the 11 billion dollar mark, slightly below the previous company, but enough to occupy our tenth position.
9 - CSX Corporation
Our first train station in the United States is CSX Corporation, which enters our ninth place with an economic value, in 2019, of 11.9 dollars.
In total, there are 34,000 km of railroad line of CSX Corporation, passing through more than 23 states in the country, in addition to having operations in Canada, mainly in the Ontario and Quebec region.
8 - Central Japan railroad Company (JR Central)
Japan is also a country that invests heavily in the railroad sector, and is the stage for the performance of one of the main railroad companies on the planet, having one of the largest railroads in the world, which is JR Central, with revenues exceeding 13 billion dollars.
Its field of activity also varies, occupying an important space in both cargo and passenger transport.
7- East Japan railroad Company (JR East)
Another important railroad in Japan is the East Japan railroad Company (JR East).
This is a company that operates in both cargo and passenger transport, in addition to owning bus fleets.
While JR Central operates mainly in the Central region of the country, JR East meets the demands of the western region of the Asian nation. In 2019, the economic value of JR East was 18.5 billion dollars.
6 - Union Pacific Corporation
The Union Pacific Corporation is, by extension, the largest railroad in the United States, having more than 50,000 km of rail network.
Because of this large extension, carrying goods throughout several important states for the country's economy, the Union Pacific Corporation is also one of those with the highest revenues, reaching annual marks in excess of 20 billion dollars, being one of the main railroad companies and one of the largest railroads in the world.
There are about 7,000 locomotives and almost 95,000 freight cars operating on this railroad every day.
5 - Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad Company (BNSF)
Located in the United States, Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad Company (BNSF) is the country's largest railroad company by revenue and one of the largest railroads in the world.
Its annual revenue, in 2019, reached the house of 22 billion dollars.
In total, there are more than 5,790 locomotives operating on the railroad, in an extension of more than 51,000 km.
4 - Indian railroads
India is the second largest country in the world in terms of population. Therefore, the presence of railroads that can transport these people on a daily basis and also take goods to the main regions of the country, as well as for export, is essential.
In this sense, Indian railroads is a railroad company that predominates in the country.
With an annual revenue of more than 25 billion dollars, the company owns more than 67,000 km of railroad extension, with an annual transport of more than 1 billion tons of goods.
3 - Russian railroads
In extension, Russia is shot the largest country in the world. In addition, it is one of the emerging countries, developing more and more to fit the list of the most developed nations in the world.
Thus, considering its extension and the importance that the railroads have for this country, it could not fail to have a Russian company on our list.
That's where Russian railroads comes in, a company that is run by the Russian government. In 2019, for example, Russian railroads' revenue exceeded $30 billion.
In extension, this one of the largest railroads in the world also stands out. There are more than 85 thousand km of railroads, crossing the entire country and carrying passengers and goods throughout the Russian territory. On average, more than 1 billion passengers and cargo are transported by this railroad.
2 - SNCF
The SNCF, which stands for Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, is the largest railroad company in France, and one of the largest railroads in the world.
There are more than 32 thousand km of railroad lines, operating in different regions of the country, both in cargo and passenger transport. In total, train circulation exceeds 14 thousand per day.
In addition to operating in France, the company also has operations in several European countries, such as Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
In total, the SNCF company's revenue in 2019 was more than 38 billion dollars.
1 - Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn, a railroad company located in the heart of Germany, Berlin, is the world's highest-revenue railroad today. In 2019, for example, its revenue was around 48 billion dollars.
In total, Deutsche Bahn's rail network is more than 33,000 km long, working to transport cargo and passengers across the country.
One of the main advantages of Deutsche Bahn's rail network is that it has intermodal relationships with other important modes of transport, such as the highways, maritime and air sectors, which are controlled by the same company. In this way, the range and number of cargoes transported increases considerably.
Conclusion: the largest railroads in the world
As we have seen, the top 10 companies that own the largest railroads in the world are spread all over the world, but they are located, essentially, in the most developed countries, or in those that are larger in terms of territories and population, such as Russia and India.
Searchs: https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-rail-companies/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/why-isnt-the-railways-a-psu/articleshow/7584262.cms?from=mdr
https://blog.ipog.edu.br/gestao-e-negocios/ferrovias-e-a-economia-de-um-pais/
