A detailed study traces the history and mechanics of discriminatory practices by American railways, documenting how passes, rebates, preferential rates, classification schemes, locality and long‑haul anomalies, private‑car and terminal abuses, and other devices produced favoritism toward powerful shippers. It reviews legal and regulatory responses from state Granger laws through federal investigations, the Interstate Commerce Act and Commission, and later statutes and court decisions, examines enforcement difficulties, and surveys proposed remedies including stronger regulation, public rate‑setting, pooling restrictions, and alternative ownership models, while drawing comparisons with foreign railway systems to suggest practical reforms.