NEW TO RAIL?

Ship by Rail in Upstate New York

If your freight moves by truck today, rail may be able to move it farther for less. Here is how shipping by rail actually works, how to tell if it fits your freight, and how to get started with Finger Lakes Railway, with or without your own rail siding.

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THE CASE FOR RAIL

Why Shippers Move Freight to Rail

Rail is built for volume and distance. For the right freight, it means lower cost per ton, less exposure to trucking capacity and driver shortages, and a smaller carbon footprint your customers increasingly ask about.

1 railcar ≈ 3–4 truckloads

A typical railcar carries 70 to 110 tons, roughly the freight of three to four trucks, in a single move.

~500 miles per gallon, per ton

U.S. freight railroads move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Up to 75% lower emissions

Moving freight by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75% on average, per the Association of American Railroads.

QUICK SELF-CHECK

Is Rail a Fit for Your Freight?

Rail is not the answer for every shipment, and we will tell you honestly when it is not. But if a few of these describe your operation, a rail conversation is worth an hour of your time. Even one or two of them can be enough for transloading to make the economics work.

Not sure? That is exactly what a rate request is for. There is no volume commitment and no obligation.

Check My Move
  • You ship heavy, dense, or bulk commodities: grain, fertilizer, steel, lumber, plastics, aggregates, chemicals, paper, salt, scrap.
  • Your freight moves several hundred miles or more, where rail line-haul economics beat trucking. Shorter moves can still work for heavy bulk products.
  • You move steady, repeatable volume, even just a few truckloads a week that could consolidate into carloads.
  • Your facility is on or near the FGLK network, or within reasonable trucking distance of one of our nine transload sites.
  • Trucking capacity, driver availability, or fuel-price volatility keeps disrupting your budget.
  • Your customers or investors are asking about supply-chain emissions.
GETTING CONNECTED

Three Ways to Reach the Rail Network

You do not need to own rail infrastructure to ship by rail. Most of our customers started with one of these three paths.

Use an FGLK Transload Site

The fastest way to start. Your freight moves by rail for the long haul and by truck for the final miles, through one of nine FGLK transload and team-track locations. No capital investment required.

Explore Transloading

Activate or Build a Siding

If your facility sits on or near our line, a private siding gives you direct service at your dock. Our team helps evaluate feasibility, design, and construction, and grant programs can help offset the cost.

Review Freight Service

Locate on a Rail-Served Site

Expanding or relocating? Rail-served and rail-ready industrial sites are available along the FGLK network, with our development team and regional economic development agencies ready to help.

See Available Sites
FROM QUOTE TO FIRST CARLOAD

How It Works

Tell us about your move

Submit a rate request with origin, destination, commodity, and rough volume. Do not worry about rail jargon or codes; describe the move in your own terms and we will translate.

We design the routing and pricing

Our commercial team evaluates routing over our CSX, Norfolk Southern, and NYSW connections, works out through-rates with the Class I partners where needed, and comes back with options. Follow-up starts within one business day.

We line up equipment and service

Car supply, transload arrangements or siding logistics, and a service schedule built around your operation, from a single car to multi-car blocks.

You ship, we handle the rest

Local FGLK crews switch your freight and keep you informed. When you call, you reach people who work on this railroad, not a national call center.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Shipping by Rail, Answered

No. Finger Lakes Railway operates nine transload and team-track locations across Upstate New York where railcars are loaded or unloaded and freight moves the final miles by truck. You get rail economics for the long haul without building private rail infrastructure.

Depending on the commodity and car type, a single railcar typically carries roughly the freight of three to four truckloads. Common cars handle 70 to 110 tons.

No. FGLK serves customers from a single carload at a time up to multi-car blocks and long-term contract volumes. Service is built around your operation, not a minimum.

Cars can be railroad-supplied, shipper-owned (private), or leased. Our commercial team helps determine the right equipment and supply arrangement for your commodity and volumes.

FGLK publishes local tariff rates for on-line moves. For moves that continue beyond our network, through-rates are developed in coordination with our Class I partners, CSX and Norfolk Southern. Submit a rate request and our team manages that process for you.

Submit a freight rate request with your origin, destination, commodity, and estimated volume. A member of our commercial team follows up within one business day. Prefer to talk first? Call 315-781-1234 or email info@fingerlakesrail.com.

Ready to See What Rail Could Save You?

Send us one move you make by truck today: origin, destination, commodity, volume. We will tell you honestly whether rail beats it, and by how much.

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