Railroads

The St. Louis region is the third largest rail hub in the U.S., linking six Class I, local and short line railroads:

The region serves all corners of the U.S. without the need for railroad interchange. Our barge/rail transload services provide supply-chain options for shipments to and from both Houston and New Orleans. These connections allow delivery of freight from Houston to St. Louis for distribution anywhere else. Additionally, agricultural products from points in the Midwest can be delivered to New Orleans for export. (2015 Leadership Council Freight Study)

The region’s intermodal capabilities and rail proximity to customers and suppliers continue to play an important role in our distribution center and manufacturing growth rate. Rail freight shipments within the St. Louis region can be placed directly on the BNSF and Union Pacific (UP) railroads for westbound transport, or on the Norfolk Southern and CSX for shipments destined east of the Mississippi River.

Intermodal Rates

Our intermodal rates from St. Louis to Eastern U.S. markets provide a rail transit-time advantage over competing logistics hubs to the west. (2015 Leadership Council Freight Study)

North/South Rail Service

Midwest north/south rail service to the Gulf, Canada and Mexico is largely provided by the CN, the KCS, and the UP. (2015 Leadership Council Freight Study)

Switching and Terminal Railroad

The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis is the local switching and terminal railroad that owns and operates the Merchants Bridge and MacArthur Bridge over the Mississippi River, the Madison Yard rail switching facility in Madison, IL and several key railroad routes in the St. Louis region.

The Alton & Southern is a switching railroad under the ownership of the Union Pacific that operates the Alton & Southern Gateway Yard. The Gateway Yard is located east of Interstate 255 and north of the St. Louis Downtown Airport.