Railroads have always been the vanguard of industrialization. Before armies moved, roads and rails were laid. Industrial development depends on transportation infrastructure—without railroads, factories cannot receive equipment, nor can they ship products. While light industry may manage with roads, heavy industry requires railways. Before the 1890s, automobiles were not yet widespread; only horse-drawn carriages existed, making railroads even more critical for industrial growth.

The first railroad in the U.S. was built in 1830 in Baltimore, a small line of just 21 kilometers, using British-imported steam locomotives. By 1850, the U.S. was producing its own locomotives at technology levels comparable to Britain.

China, on the other hand, relied solely on state-run railroads, with no private sector involvement. The first Chinese railroad, a small line from Shanghai to Wusong at the Yangtze River, was completed in 1876—46 years later than the U.S. This delayed China’s industrialization by nearly half a century. Moreover, the late Qing dynasty was aging and struggling; railroad construction progressed slowly and sporadically, like a “bound-foot woman” taking careful, laborious steps.

During the Republican period after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, internal wars and Japanese invasion further delayed development. By the end of World War II in 1945, China had only built 25,000 kilometers of rail, with 22,000 kilometers operational by 1949.

In contrast, the U.S., a young democracy without historical burdens, allowed private investment in railroads and fully supported them. After 1850, both industrial and railroad development accelerated dramatically. In 1887, the U.S. set a record by building 20,000 kilometers of railroad in a single year. Between 1850 and 1910, America built 400,000 kilometers of track, accounting for one-third of the world’s total.

Modern highways have replaced some rail functions, but most U.S. railways remain operational. Today, U.S. railroads primarily handle freight. Passenger service mainly serves urban and suburban short commutes; long-distance travel is mostly by air, with rail primarily catering to tourism.

China’s rail network has grown rapidly in recent decades. In 1981, China had 50,000 kilometers of track in operation. By 2001, it increased to 70,000 kilometers, and by 2010 to 86,000 kilometers, with plans to reach 100,000 kilometers by 2020. Despite this rapid expansion over 40 years, China’s railways remain state-owned, with no private sector involvement, and still lag behind the U.S. in scale and operational maturity.