Public ownership of railroads in the U.S.

State and local governments in the United States now own more than 100 railroads. Although those railroads display great diversity, the typical one is relatively small, with old equipment. Most rail lines owned by states or localities were originally private lines and public ownership was chosen to prevent abandonment. Most state/local lines are privately operated; traffic volume varies from quite heavy on some lines to very limited on others. Efforts to combine the financial resources to keep a line in service, responsiveness to affected communities and private sector expertise are producing some innovative organizational arrangements.