this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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The way I understand it in the states is that all the rail lines are freight lines, and amtrack shares the rails. I've taken amtrak before and had to stop for like 15 minutes for a freight train because they have the right of way
AFAIK passenger trains have priority. But they have a lot of single rail infrastructre and freight games the system with trains that are too long for passing sidings, so the passenger trains have to wait.
I had heard that freight usually has priority largely because Amtrak leases the tracks from the freight companies that own the rails and usually a stipulation of those leases is a priority for the company's trains.
Federal law requires that passenger trains be given priority
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/HostRailroadReports/mythbusters-enforcing-amtraks-legal-right-to-preference.pdf
However, a law that isn't enforced doesn't really exist.