In railroad operations, this refers to a specific corridor where multiple carriers share ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Unlike trackage rights where one tenant pays a host to run trains, the participating railroads split the costs of upkeep, dispatching, and capital improvements. These arrangements often exist in congested urban corridors or through difficult geographic bottlenecks where building parallel routes was impractical.
Dispatching on the joint line is handled out of the UP center, but both roads split the maintenance costs.
Do not confuse a joint line with trackage rights. On a joint line, both railroads are co-owners rather than a host and a tenant.
Related terms
Interchange
The handoff of cars from one railroad to another at an agreed junction track or yard.
Main line
The principal track or tracks of a railroad between terminals, where trains need authority to run.
Running powers
A legal agreement allowing one railroad to operate its trains over tracks owned by another company.