I am curious- how do railroads charge for their services? This question comes up because on a regular basis I watch Norfolk Southern switch cars at a cement plant across the street from me. Last night I watched as an SD40-2 dropped off 2 full cars and picked up an empty. This is from a siding off the mainline, and occasionally I bring the kids to watch the switching. Anyway, who’s paying for this? The supplier or the cement plant?
It depends on the service. But usually there is a terminal or switching fee at each end of the run that would be a flat rate per car. Then there is the long haul cost. Here is UPs site for priceing information: