# Trackage Rights

*Last updated: 2026-07-27*

> Trackage rights – in German 'Streckenrechte' – are the contractually granted right of one railway to operate its trains, usually with its own crews, over the track infrastructure of another railway.

Trackage rights – in German 'Streckenrechte' – are the contractually granted right of one railway to operate its trains, usually with its own crews, over the track infrastructure of another railway. The owner receives a fee from the user, known as the tenant. With pure overhead or bridge rights, the tenant may only run across the foreign line without serving customers along the route; full trackage rights include serving shippers. Trackage rights play a central role in rail mergers: competition authorities such as the US Surface Transportation Board often require them as a condition so that shippers at locations served by only one carrier keep alternatives. They are frequently first agreed in a memorandum of understanding. For freight forwarders, new trackage rights can open additional routings via rail yards and hubs. Not to be confused with a private siding, which is a private track on company premises.

**Source:** [https://www.trains.com/trn/train-basics/abcs-of-railroading/trackage-rights-same-line-two-railroads/](https://www.trains.com/trn/train-basics/abcs-of-railroading/trackage-rights-same-line-two-railroads/)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Trackage Rights |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 147 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-27 |
| Source | https://www.trains.com/trn/train-basics/abcs-of-railroading/trackage-rights-same-line-two-railroads/ |

---

*Logistics Glossary — Freight Academy: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/trackage-rights](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/trackage-rights)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/trackage-rights](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/trackage-rights)*

*JSON summary: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/trackage-rights/llm-summary?lang=en](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/trackage-rights/llm-summary?lang=en)*