Rail transport company facts for kids
A rail transport company is a business that works with trains and railways. These companies can do different things. Some make the trains, like the engines and cars. Others run the trains, carrying people or goods. And some companies manage the railway tracks themselves.
Sometimes, in places like the United States, one company might do all these jobs. Rail companies can be owned by private people or groups (private companies). Or they can be owned by the government (public companies).
How Rail Companies Work
In Europe, countries that are part of the European Union have a special rule. They keep the companies that manage the railway tracks separate from the companies that run the trains. This helps different train companies compete fairly. They can all try to win the chance to operate trains on certain lines. This might be for a set time, often with help from the government. Other companies also help by keeping the tracks and trains in good shape.
Some countries have one big national railway company. This company owns all the tracks and runs all the trains in that country. For example, Russian Railways is one of the biggest rail companies in the world. It covers a huge network of tracks.
Other countries have many different railway companies. These companies might even compete with each other. This is common in places like the United States and Canada. In the United States, there's a public company called Amtrak that runs passenger trains. But there are also many private companies that operate trains, especially for cargo.
See also
In Spanish: Empresa ferroviaria para niños
- Railway undertaking
- Railway infrastructure manager
- List of railway companies
- List of countries by rail transport network size
- Rail transport by country
cs:Provozovatel drážní dopravy pl:Przewoźnik kolejowy
