Why Local Governments Need the Data on the Benefits of Rail

Thriving towns make rail possible. Strong local economies, public infrastructure, and responsive emergency services are all essential to moving freight safely and efficiently. And when rail works well, it strengthens those same towns in return.

The February 2025 Association of American Railroads (AAR) economic impact report makes that case pretty clearly. In 2023 alone, rail supported 749,000 jobs and generated $233.4 billion in economic output. That’s not just a national win - it’s happening in hundreds of cities, counties, and corridors where rail is stitched into the fabric of daily life.

At Railtowns.org, one of the things we’re working to do is bring visibility to the places that thrive by hosting and relying on rail. That means identifying local challenges, highlighting shared solutions, and making sure public funding can support both community needs and industry success. The methods these communities are using to succeed need to be shared.

We’d love to see future reports go a step further. If the raw data behind this analysis could be shared - especially at the city or county level - it would open the door to better decision-making across the board. Many local leaders still don’t know how rail shapes their economy. If we could quantify that, we could help shift public perception and secure the investment needed to fix the failed infrastructure often putting interstate commerce and local wellbeing at odds with each other. 

We’re already beginning to tell that story - but with the numbers to back it up? Our communities would have what they need to win the hearts, minds, and wallets of their constituencies.

The actual local financial benefit of a proposed grade-separated rail infrastructure in the towns that struggle with (say) blocked crossings is likely to be staggeringly large. But we can't quantify and leverage it without understanding (in hindsight) the frequency and trend of the blockages and the opportunities we'd gain by avoiding them. 

The problem we're up against isn't the railroads stopping on the tracks, or the frequency of their operations in our communities. The problem is that we've historically not invested appropriately to enable our residents, visitors, and workforce to function safely and effectively around the rails and rail activity necessary for us to thrive.