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Rail infrastructure managers in the Americas
31 managers14 countriesLinks checked on 12 Oct 2026
North America turns the European model upside down: most of the track belongs to large private freight railroads, which own, maintain and dispatch it. In the United States these are BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern; in Canada, CN and CPKC, which also reaches into Mexico. Amtrak and VIA Rail run most of their passenger trains over this freight-owned track, with Amtrak owning mainly the Northeast Corridor.
Infrastructure managers by country
No manager matches.
How rail is organised in the region
In Latin America, most networks were handed to private concessions in the 1990s, in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, before some governments took back a larger role. Argentina created a public infrastructure manager, ADIF, in 2008, and Chile relies on the state-owned EFE.
New projects are creating new managers: Mexico's Tren Maya, Brightline in Florida and California's high-speed rail project. Several Central American and Caribbean countries have no railway in service and are not listed.
Infrastructure manager or train operator?
An infrastructure manager (IM) owns or runs the network itself: track, bridges and tunnels, overhead lines, signalling and telecoms. It maintains and renews these assets, allocates capacity (train paths) to railway undertakings and leads major works and their tenders.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the railroad tracks in the United States?
Most lines belong to freight railroads such as BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern. Amtrak owns mainly the Northeast Corridor and runs elsewhere on freight-owned track.
Who manages the railway network in Canada?
CN and CPKC own and manage most of the network; VIA Rail runs passenger trains, mainly over CN track.
Who manages the railway network in Chile?
The state-owned EFE (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado) manages the network and passenger services.
Other regions
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