Six Class I Railroads

Service to all corners of the country without interchange

Home to six fully-functioning rail terminals

Industrial growth strengthened by intermodal capacity and proximity to suppliers

Local carrier TRRA owns several key regional rail routes

A map of the United States of America, southern Canada, and northern Mexico, displaying the railroad line network of the six Class 1 railroads connected to the St. Louis Region. The six Class 1 railroads are Canada National, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CSX Transportation, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Highlighted routes display example connections from the St. Louis region to ten major ports and logistic centers: New York City, Newark, Norfolk, Savannah, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, and Vancouver.

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

BNSF

BNSF Railway Company

CN

Canadian National Railway Company

CSX

CSX Corporation

KCS

Kansas City Southern

NS

Norfolk Southern Corporation

UP

Union Pacific Railroad

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.

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.

“A project I think that could give the region the same strategic advantage [as KC or Indianapolis] is the expansion of the Union Pacific Intermodal Yard in Dupo, Illinois. It could put us on par with our rival cities by giving us cost competitive connectivity to the major West Coast ports.”

David Branding, Managing Director for the St. Louis office of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

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.

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.

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.

In September 2022, work wrapped up on a $222 million project to replace the then 133-year old Merchants Bridge, a vital rail artery across the Mississippi River and one of the nation’s primary east-west rail corridors serving one of America’s largest rail hub. The new double track bridge can facilitate two freight trains at the same time and move freight faster, cost-effectively and more reliably, providing an alternative to more congested rail hubs like Chicago.

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.

Available Sites with Rail Service Potential

The St. Louis Region has 11 locations with 15 land sites over 20 acres and rail potential ready for development. These sites can handle heavy industry and are ideal for end-users ready to take advantage of the strong rail infrastructure in the bi-state area.

View Sites with Rail Service Potential