Today, that network emphasizes moving freight in North America and passengers in Europe and Asia. It is beginning to include passenger service in the United States. It also makes use of the versatility of the cargo container. Cargo ships and airplanes span the oceans. The truck provides local feeder service at origins and destinations.
Cargo airplanes deliver high-value, specialized freight.
Secondary rail and highway routes support the intermodal system and connect cities, rural regions, and individual freight customers to the main-line corridors. Today, a doublestack train leaving a coastal port can replace 280 trucks, run at speeds up to 90 miles an hour on the western railroads, and afford as much as nine times the fuel efficiency of container transport by highway. Overall, the operational and economic efficiency of freight's intermodal network conserves fuel, reduces other environmental impacts, and is significantly safer. Most of its main lines are in excellent shape. North American customers suffer when it comes to moving people.