US Railways: History and Description

American railways have a richhistory and played a very important role in the development of the state. Currently, this transport in the country does not enjoy such great popularity as aviation and car types. Many trains are more like exhibits. They travel only romantics and people who are afraid to fly on an airplane. And the ticket price here is usually not much different from the cost of the flight.

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 the 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, the industry employs 1.2 million workers, while the American main lines serve only 180 thousand people. Approximately the same is only the share of turnover of the industry, which in both countries is 40%.

Origin

History of the US 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 railway company of New Jersey. Initially, industrial branches began to be created for transportation of cargoes for short distances, for example, for export of minerals from mines. The Pennsylvania Railway, which began operations in 1846, was the first company in the industry. Eight years later, it officially launched its first route, which connected Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

The first locomotives

If there were no major problems with the construction of the canvas, the main problem encountered The first US railways, was the provision of traction. In 1826 John Stevenson mentioned above designed and built his own steam locomotive. To test his offspring, the engineer built his own circular track in New Jersey. Testing machines were successful. Three years later, Gortario Alen, being the chief engineer of a large shipping company, suggested using a simple English locomotive. After successful testing, it began to be used on a branch between Carbonvale and Honesdale in Pennsylvania. In 1830, according to the design of the American Peter Cooper, the first locomotive designed for passenger traffic was built in New York. Over time, it has established itself as a very reliable machine.

Interesting fact

In the fifties of the nineteenth century, the so-called underground underground railway. IN USA so called themselves representatives of one secretsociety. It was engaged in assisting fugitive slaves of African descent from the southern states to the north. At the same time, the organization's activities were not connected with transport and transportation. Members of the organization simply used railroad terminology, which became popular throughout American society.

The beginning of rapid development

It was after the appearance of the first diesel locomotives began to develop actively railways in the USA. In the 19th century The new mode of transport already constituted a seriouscompetition to shipping companies. A special impetus to its development was given by several experiments that proved that the locomotive can overcome the distance approximately three to four times faster than the steamer.

In 1830 there was a landmark event forAmerican railway transport. Then, between the cities of Ohio and Baltimore in Maryland, the first passenger train was launched and started on a regular basis. Initially, the public was extremely negative about locomotives, calling them diabolical machines, but eventually the majority of citizens became more and more clear that this transport lies with the future.

If as of 1840 length of the US railways was 2755 miles, then twenty years later thisThe figure crossed over the mark of 30 thousand miles. The construction of new routes was also greatly facilitated by the development of agriculture. Since the farmers were working for the market, they needed transport, capable of quickly and in large volumes to take out the harvest.

Construction of a transcontinental railway

In 1861, the Civil War broke out between the North and the South. Despite this, a year after its inception, President Abraham Lincoln decided that it was to be built transcontinental railroad USA. It was assumed that the length of the highway would bealmost three thousand kilometers. Contractors were immediately two companies: Central Pacific (laying the canvas from west to east) and Union Pacific Railroad (led construction from east to west). The center of the route was supposed to be the so-called meeting point. Each company strived to finish its own plot first and win this kind of competition, so the work was not always carried out according to plan. Many officials appropriated funds allocated for construction. If there were settlements on the way of the railway, their inhabitants were offered scanty amounts for land plots. Moreover, for bribes from mayors of some cities (it was beneficial for them to have a highway), companies repeatedly changed their routes.

For the construction were attracted about 10 thousandworkers from China and another 4 thousand from Ireland. 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 a day). Due to difficult working conditions, many builders perished.

As a result, Union Pacific Railroad managedlay 1,749 kilometers of canvas, and their opponents - 1,100 kilometers. This further had a favorable effect on the further development of the "winners", which these days have become one of the most powerful railway enterprises in the country. When in 1869 the workers of two contractors met, a gold nail was hammered into the sleeper, symbolizing the connection of the two oceans.

The effect of the construction of the transcontinental railway

Many skeptics say that transcontinental railroad USA then it became a useless and pointless undertakingPresident. However, later it played a very significant role for the state, having created a real revolution in the economy of the country and the migration of its inhabitants. In a short period of time, a large number of Americans wishing to develop agriculture have moved to the fertile western lands.

At the end of the nineteenth century, several more branches appeared, connecting the two oceans directly. They were better thought out, and in the erection fewer violations were allowed. The first railway in the US, paved from east to west of the country,It is considered a dark spot of American history. This is not surprising, because the feat of the two companies can not overshadow the number of dead workers and left homeless families.

The development of railways after the Civil War

The Civil War showed how important and effective is rail transport in the transportation of people, food and weapons. It is not surprising that in the future development of railways in the USA became a priority. Companies operating in the industry were provided with subsidies even before construction began. In particular, the government allocated from 16 to 48 thousand dollars for each mile of the canvas. In addition, the territory for 10 miles on both sides of the road became the property of the companies. Eloquent can be called the fact that, beginning in 1870, over 10 years, corporations were distributed 242 thousand square miles of land.

In the period from 1865 to 1916 construction of the US railways was carried out on a grand scale. The total length of roads during this time has grown from 35 to 254 thousand miles. Moreover, at the beginning of the twentieth century, both passenger and freight traffic in the country was almost completely carried out by rail.

Reducing the role of railways

During the First World War, the railway industrypassed under the control of the American government. Since that time, the industry has gradually begun to lose its leading position. In 1920, the railroads were returned to private ownership. However, at this time, their condition significantly deteriorated. In combination with the development of technical progress and other modes of transport, this has begun to lead to a gradual decrease in the role of the industry for the state economy.

But also to minimize the significance that playedindustry, do not need. Firstly, a transport network was created that linked the entire domestic market of the state into a single whole. Secondly, the construction of the canvas contributed to a strong rise in such industries as transport engineering and metallurgy, due to the high demand for rails, wagons and locomotives. Whatever it was, if before 1920 the development of railways was called the "golden age", then we can say with certainty that since this time it has at least ended.

Today's state

Currently, few people in the US are travelingby rail. This is primarily due to the good development of aviation communications. And the cost of tickets for a train and plane is often about the same. In this regard, it is not surprising that a large share of the revenues of this industry is related to freight traffic. US Railways Network has an extent that is more than 220 thousand kilometers. They serve all sectors of the country's economy. The share of rail transport accounts for about 40% of the national freight turnover.

Company Profile

All American Railway Companiesare in private ownership. In all, there are almost 600. At the same time, the 7 largest of them account for more than half of the volume of freight turnover in the industry. State companies are guaranteed the right to independently make decisions on transportation tariffs. At the same time, this process is controlled by the federal body, which is called the Land Transport Council. Privatization of American railways is irrelevant. Companies are interested in the effective functioning and coordination of absolutely all systems. This is due to the high competition with road transport. Principal decisions regarding the activities of railway companies are taken by their shareholders. Recently, the total income of these companies is an average of about 54 billion dollars a year.

Freight transportation

US Railways can boast a fairly developed andeffective system of freight transport. Experts believe that the guarantee of its successful work is primarily due to their relative freedom from state regulation.

As already noted above, about 40% of freight traffic in the country is provided by railway workers. This value has been growing for the last fifteen years. However, in this indicator the US railways yield to their main competitor -motor transport. In the context of the struggle for the client, companies in every way accentuate the attention of potential customers on their economic and environmental advantages. According to their leaders, in the near future this will still improve the current indicators.

Classification of freight companies

Carriers who serve the US railways, according to the system of classification in force in the country, are divided into the following classes: first-class companies, regional companies, linear local operators and S & T carriers.

To first class railway companiesthere are only seven operators. They account for about 67% of the turnover, and the average annual income of each exceeds a mark of 350 million dollars. Transportation, as a rule, is carried out for long distances. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 American railway workers work in these firms.

Regional companies have an average annual income ofnot less than 40 million dollars. They usually transport a distance of 350 to 650 miles (within a few states). According to the latest data, there are 33 such enterprises in the country, and the number of personnel of each of them varies within 500 employees.

Local operators perform transportation ondistance to 350 miles and annually receive an income of up to 40 million dollars. In the state there are 323 firms of this class, which usually transport goods through the territory of one state.

S & T companies do not transport goods as much asengaged in their transshipment and sorting. In addition, they specialize in delivery within a certain region on the order of a particular carrier. According to the latest data, there are 196 such companies operating in the country, earning several tens of millions of dollars each year.

Passenger Transportation

Railway passenger transport is notenjoys great popularity in the USA. The fact is that the distances between cities are usually very large, and not everyone is able to spend 24 hours in a chair, despite its comfort. It is much faster to travel by plane, the ticket price for which is not much higher than the cost of a train ride.

In the United States, there are two types of passenger trains: short-haul and long-distance (night). In the first of them, cars of sedentary type are used. They ply only during the day. In the second type there are both sleeping and sessile two-story cars. At the same time passengers are located on the upper tier, and the lower one is designed for carrying luggage. Night trains serve mainly the western part of the country.

In addition, suburban transportation is also provided for servicing passengers. The trains that provide them belong to local operators who independently form a tariff system.

Completion

US Railways at one time played a revolutionary role in theeconomy of the country. Their appearance contributed to a whole series of positive changes, as well as the development of many industries and agriculture. The evolution of American rail transport before the outbreak of World War I even went down in history as the "golden age" of railways. Whatever the case, the development of technical progress combined with the availability of alternative modes of transport has led to a gradual decrease in the role of the industry.