Railways

West Virginia railways carry more than 226 million tons of freight each year and serve as an integral component of our intermodal transportation center due to their proximity to river ports and trucking centers. Economically, the commercial coal industry, one of the state’s major natural resources, began to grow with the arrival of the railroads in the coal fields in the mid-1800's. In 1883, West Virginia’s major rail lines were completed and coal production totaled nearly 3 million tons. Since then, our railways have continued to transport billions of tons of coal, wood, commercial products and other materials as well as millions of passengers. West Virginia’s railways truly connect our state to the nation and the world.