Iowa is served by 19 freight railroad companies which operate 4,058 miles of track within Iowa. Five of these railroads are major national companies operating throughout much of the United States (Class I railroads.) These railroads operate 83 percent of Iowa's total route miles, including much of Iowa's grain gathering network.
The remaining railroads serving Iowa consist of regional railroads operating in Iowa and nearby states or local short line railroads operating within Iowa. These regional and local railroads provide valuable service through shorter hauls, switching operations, and provide access to the larger freight network for their customers.
| Railroad | Abbreviation | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Appanoose County Community Railroad | APNC | Short line |
| BNSF Railway | BNSF | Class 1 |
| Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad | BSV | Short line/Tourist |
| Burlington Junction Railway | BJRY | Short line |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern (owner of Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad) | CPKC | Class 1 |
| CBEC Railway (operated by Iowa Interstate Railroad) | CBEX | Short line |
| Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. (also known as CRANDIC) | CIC | Short line |
| Cedar River Railroad Co. (owned by CN) | CEDR | (see CN) |
| Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad (owned by CN) | CC | (see CN) |
| CN (owner of Cedar River Railroad and Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad) | CN | Class 1 |
| D & I Railroad Co. (owned by State of South Dakota) | DAIR | Short line |
| D & W Railroad (operated by Iowa Northern Railway Co.) | DWRR | Short line |
| Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (owned by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.) | DME | (see CP) |
| Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. | IAIS | Short line |
| Iowa Northern Railway Co. | IANR | Short line |
| Iowa River Railroad | IARR | Short line |
| Iowa Traction Railway Co. (owned by Progressive Rail Inc.) | IATR | Short line |
| Keokuk Junction Railroad Co. (owned by Pioneer Railcorp) | KJRY | Short line |
| Norfolk Southern | NS | Class 1 |
| North Central Iowa Rail Corridor LLC (operated by Iowa Northern Railway Co.) | NCIRC | Short line |
| Union Pacific Railroad | UP | Class 1 |
- Class I railroads include the largest freight-hauling railroads. The rail lines of the seven Class I railroads span the North American continent.
- Regional railroads are midsize freight-hauling railroads that normally operate at least 350 miles of track and may span multiple states.
- Short line railroads are smaller railroads that include local railroads as well as railroads that primarily do car switching.
- Tourist railroads offer passenger rides usually in restored historic rail equipment and often accompanied by an on-site museum.