And ethanol plants, which I was surprised to find out is actually a big deal for rail (or rail is a big deal for ethanol?). I guess I never put much thought into how much of it was being produced and how it was being moved around.
Most industrial plants have rail connections to move bulk materials. Itβs more economical than trucks for some stuff. Chemicals, crude oil, cut lumber, all cheaper by rail than by truck - though trucks haul 65%+ of goods in America, they are often used for last mile for those materials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Union_Pacific_and_Norfolk...