Railways Railroad Industry Attributes Rate of profitability Expanded from 5.7% in 1984 to 9.4% in 1996. Represents 1% of Gross domestic product Utilizes more than 200,000 (0.19% of populace) Delivered around 40.6% of all ton-miles moved in U.S. (down from 75% in 1929) Ton-miles moved (1997) = 1,375 billion