Railroad classes are the system by which freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With annual adjustments for inflation, the 2019 thresholds were US$504,803,294 for Class I carriers and US$40,384,263 for Class II carriers.
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a typical example of a Class I railroad in the eastern United States.
The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a typical example of a Class II regional railroad in Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois.
The Buckingham Branch Railroad is a typical example of a Class III shortline in Virginia.
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the United States is an independent federal agency that serves as an adjudicatory board. The board was created in 1996 following the abolition of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and absorbed regulatory powers relevant to the railroad industry previously under the ICC's purview.
Robert E. Primus, chairman of the Surface Transportation Board since 2024