The USA’s railroads and its workers are an “indisputable national security asset”

Without question, railroads have played a critical role in our nation’s military history. As an example, during the Civil War, Atlanta was burned by General Sherman’s army because it was an important rail hub. Sherman targeted railroads, but it’s also important to remember that his march to the sea was only possible because his 100,000 troops were supplied by rail.

In World War II, a strong national railroad network supported the war effort on the homefront. Over 90% of all military freight and an astounding 98% of personnel traveled by rail during that conflict.

Today, railroads remain “an indisputable national security asset.” The U.S. military relies heavily on freight rail. Any significant reduction in trackage, disruption, contraction or slowing of service or service interruption — caused by abandonment of rail lines, natural disaster, or related to mergers and corporate consolidations — poses a potential threat to national security.

Recently, BLET National President Mark Wallace met with top military leaders responsible for logistics to discuss challenges facing freight rail service and the consequences for military readiness. Wallace shared BLET’s belief that drastic cuts to the railroad workforce and deferred maintenance — both driven by the industry’s adoption of the Precision Scheduled Railroading business model — put national security at risk. Following those discussions, the Department of War’s United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) released the following statement demonstrating how freight rail is the backbone of the Pentagon’s logistics efforts:

The Strategic Role of the Freight Rail Industry in National Security and Global Force Projection
On behalf of the Department of War’s United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), we want to stress the critical and indispensable role that the commercial freight rail industry, and its dedicated workforce, plays in the national security architecture of the United States. The American rail network serves as a foundational pillar of domestic logistics, providing the capacity required to project global military operations and maintain strategic readiness.

A Long History and Continued Legacy of Military Service
Since their beginning, the railroads have played a key role in our national defense, moving people and materiel to support whatever mission the nation asks. Railroad employees answered the nation’s call to military service in every major conflict since the Civil War. In World War II, railroad employees played a critical role on the homefront and abroad. Some were formed into specialized military rail units and deployed to the European theater and elsewhere, where their unique skills were applied to managing railroads and supplying our warfighters.

Today’s rail labor force carries on a strong linkage to the military. According to industry statistics, one in six railroad employees is a military veteran and many railroad employees continue to balance their railroad jobs with demanding roles in the Reserve or National Guard forces.

The Strategic Link: Fort to Port
The primary mission of USTRANSCOM is rapidly deploying and sustaining the joint force globally to deter aggression and defend national interests. This capability is fundamentally predicated upon the heavy-tonnage capacity and expansive reach of the domestic commercial rail infrastructure. While ships carry the vast majority of military equipment to overseas theaters, these vessels rely upon freight rails to transition combat power from inland military installations to strategic ports of embarkation.

Rail remains the sole domestic transport mode capable of mobilizing entire heavy armored combat formations with the speed and volume required to meet immediate operational requirements.

An Indispensable National Security Asset
The operational readiness of the United States Armed Forces is inextricably linked to the resilience, safety, and reliability of the freight rail industry both now and in the future. The synchronized operations of rail carriers and their professional workforce are important to the strategic mobility of the nation. The movement of tactical equipment across the domestic rail network is not merely a commercial service; it is a direct contribution to national security.

The commercial rail industry constitutes a critical capability within the national defense transportation system. When the nation calls, rail delivers the critical mass that deters adversaries and wins wars. USTRANSCOM honors the enduring contribution of the rail industry, its infrastructure, and its personnel in securing the sovereignty of our nation.