With much of the Confederate government being occupied by many other issues concerning their eventual downfall, railroads were the least of their worries. Due to their agrarian society, railroads were only used to transport cotton to ports if needed. The Union, on the other hand, put a large influence on railroads. This is supported by the nearly 22,000 miles of Union track compared to the 9,500 miles of the Confederacy. As the war went on though, that 9,500 miles of track deteriorated greatly into broken, stolen, or sabotaged "Sherman Neckties" by the Union. With much of the railroad workers in the south serving in the military, the civilians who ran the companies struggles greatly and had difficulty performing the duties at hand.
On the other side of America, the Union took advantage of the enormous amount of track they had available. They implemented as much of it as they could. They used it to transport supplies such as food, ammunition, and artillery to various locations that were accessible by rail. And they also used the locomotives as transport for soldiers in some cases. Due to the north already being industrialized and their economy being highly dependent upon manufacturing, railroads had already been implemented and kept up, unlike the Confederacy. The advancement in railroad technology greatly helped the north have an economic and military advantage over the south and was another main reason the north was victorious.
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/railroads.html
On the other side of America, the Union took advantage of the enormous amount of track they had available. They implemented as much of it as they could. They used it to transport supplies such as food, ammunition, and artillery to various locations that were accessible by rail. And they also used the locomotives as transport for soldiers in some cases. Due to the north already being industrialized and their economy being highly dependent upon manufacturing, railroads had already been implemented and kept up, unlike the Confederacy. The advancement in railroad technology greatly helped the north have an economic and military advantage over the south and was another main reason the north was victorious.
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/railroads.html