488210 Support Activities for Rail Transportation

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing specialized services for railroad transportation, including servicing, routine repairing (except factory conversion, overhaul, or rebuilding of rolling stock), and maintaining rail cars; loading and unloading rail cars; and operating independent terminals.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Providing railroad car rental are classified in U.S. Industry 532411, Commercial Air, Rail, and Water Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing.
• Factory conversion, overhaul, or rebuilding of railroad rolling stock are classified in Industry 336510, Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing.
• Providing rail car janitorial services are classified in Industry 561720, Janitorial Services.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Activities listed under 488210

The Census index assigns these 10 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Freight car cleaning services
• Grain leveling and trimming in railroad cars
• Loading and unloading services at rail terminals
• Locomotive and rail car repair (except factory conversion, factory overhaul, factory rebuilding)
• Maintenance of rights of way and structures, railway
• Railroad switching services
• Railroad terminals, independent operation
• Railway terminals, independent operation
• Shunting trailers in rail terminals
• Switching services, railroad

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 488210

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 488210, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $34 million in average annual receipts. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 3315, 5221, 5224, 8129), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 33150Repair and maintenance of ships and boatsUK SIC
• 52211Operation of rail freight terminalsUK SIC
• 52212Operation of rail passenger facilities at railway stationsUK SIC
• 52213Operation of bus and coach passenger facilities at bus and coach stationsUK SIC
• 52219Other service activities incidental to land transportation, n.e.c.UK SIC
• 52241Cargo handling for water transport activitiesUK SIC
• 52242Cargo handling for air transport activitiesUK SIC
• 52243Cargo handling for land transport activitiesUK SIC
• 81291Disinfecting and exterminating servicesUK SIC
• 81299Other cleaning servicesUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.