United States Railroad Administration

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The United States Railroad Administration was the federal agency that temporarily nationalized and operated American railroads during World War I to improve efficiency and support the war effort.

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Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf federal government agency
wartime emergency agency
affectedBy United States home front during World War I
surface form: World War I mobilization
country United States of America
dateFormed 1917-12-28
dissolvedOn 1920-03-01
endDate 1920-03-01
hasJurisdictionOver railroads in the United States
headOfGovernment Walker D. Hines
William Gibbs McAdoo
headOfGovernmentTitle Director General of Railroads
headquartersLocation Washington, D.C.
historicalPeriod Progressive Era
World War I
implemented priority freight movements for war materials
unified ticketing and routing for passengers
influenced Transportation Act of 1920
introducedDesign USRA standard freight car designs
USRA standard steam locomotive designs
languageOfWork English
legalBasis Presidential Proclamation
surface form: Presidential proclamation under the Army Appropriations Act of 1916
locatedIn Washington, D.C.
notableOutput USRA standard steam locomotive designs
surface form: USRA Heavy Mikado 2-8-2 locomotive design

USRA standard steam locomotive designs
surface form: USRA Heavy Pacific 4-6-2 locomotive design

USRA Light Mikado 2-8-2 locomotive design
USRA standard steam locomotive designs
surface form: USRA Light Pacific 4-6-2 locomotive design

USRA standard freight car designs
surface form: USRA standard boxcar design

USRA standard gondola car design
USRA standard hopper car design
operatedInSector freight rail
passenger rail
rail transport
operationalMethod government operation of railroads
nationalization of private railroads
parentOrganization United States government
surface form: United States federal government
policy centralized control of railroad operations
standardization of railroad equipment
standardized freight car designs
standardized locomotive designs
unified national railroad schedules
primaryPurpose improve railroad efficiency during World War I
support the American war effort in World War I
regulates railroad rates during its period of control
railroad service priorities during its period of control
relinquishedControlOn 1920-03-01
relinquishedControlTo private railroad companies
shortName USRA
startDate 1917-12-28
subordinateTo United States Department of the Treasury
President of the United States
surface form: United States President
succeededBy privately operated U.S. railroad system

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

United States Fuel Administration collaboratesWith United States Railroad Administration