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As the leading mode of transportation for Illinois soybeans, railroads are crucial to the state's transportation infrastructure. More than 7,000 miles of railroad tracks connect Illinois to domestic and international soybean customers, bringing in billions of dollars every year. (See Figure 1.)
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Figure 1. All Railroads in Illinois |
Rail Infrastructure Impacts Your Bottom Line
Railroad tracks, track beds, trestles and bridges cannot be allowed to deteriorate because poorly maintained rail lines cannot handle heavy traffic and cause detours and delays. These inefficiencies, which increase the cost of hauling freight, are taken out of farmers' cash price.
Limited Capacity
As Illinois farmers continue to break soybean yield records, rail infrastructure is struggling to provide adequate capacity. The Federal Railroad Administration estimates that tonnage on the railroad system will increase by 88 percent by 2035.1 Growing demand for rail transportation coupled with a finite amount of available rail capacity means rail freight rates will continue to rise as both ag and non-ag industries vie for limited space.
What Happens to Illinois Soybeans If Rail Isn't an Option?
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In-state processing facilities that produce soybean oil, meal and other byproducts would not have access to roughly half of all Illinois soybeans they process annually. - Livestock-producing areas including Iowa, Georgia, California and the High Plains would lose key Illinois feedstocks for swine, poultry, beef, dairy and other animals.
- The 54 percent of Illinois soybeans destined for foreign buyers would be unable to reach critical ports on the lakes, rivers and coasts.
- Foreign and domestic buyers would look to production from other states or countries for dependable supplies of high-quality soybeans.
Take Action
For high-quality Illinois soybeans to reach their destinations at the best possible price, they need an efficient rail infrastructure to move them. Farmers can support the necessary improvements by visiting the "What You Can Do" page for railway resources and information on how to make their voices heard.
1Page 5 of "National Preliminary Rail Plan," Federal Railroad Administration, 2009
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