It depends on how you look at it. Purely from a $/tonne/mile perspective, it is a massive success. There is no doubt about that. However, the technology is li

It depends on how you look at it. Purely from a $/tonne/mile perspective, it is a massive success. There is no doubt about that. However, the technology is literally decades behind compared to the rest of the world. Electrification basically does not exist, and basic safety systems are in their infancy. Precision Scheduled Railroading has resulted in a system with very little flexibility which makes extremely poor use of the infrastructure available. Working conditions are appalling, and the resulting stress has major safety implications. Meanwhile, passenger transport - which was the reason they were developed in the first place - has been reduced to a rounding error, and is the laughing stock of the Western world. Europe transports 35% of its freight by boat, 12% by rail, and 55% by road. The US transports 5% by boat, 11.6% by rail, and 75% by road. The observed success of American freight is primarily due to geographic restrictions: there are virtually zero waterways in the western half, and cross-continent barge transport is impossible. Combine that with a country which is incredibly big and mostly empty, and rail ends up being the only viable method for bulk cargo transport. The way I see it, US freight is deeply troubled by operating issues, and is only economically successful due to geography making it the only viable option.