CSX Transportation facts for kids
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A map of CSX Transportation's train routes with trackage rights in purple
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CSX 660, a GE AC6000CW, westbound at Point of Rocks, Maryland
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | CSX Transportation Building, 500 Water Street, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Reporting mark | CSXT |
| Locale | Northeastern, Southern, Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada |
| Dates of operation | July 1, 1986–present |
| Predecessors |
List
Chessie System
Seaboard System Railroad Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Western Maryland Railroad Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Georgia Railroad and Banking Company Conrail Pan Am Railways |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 21,000 miles (34,000 km) |
CSX Transportation (also known as CSXT or just CSX) is a major freight train company. It operates in the Eastern United States and parts of Canada (Ontario and Quebec). CSX has about 21,000 miles (34,000 km) of train tracks. It is the main part of CSX Corporation, a large company based in Jacksonville, Florida.
CSX Corporation was created in 1980. This happened when two big railroad companies, Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries, joined together. At first, CSX was just a parent company. Its different train lines officially merged in 1987. CSX Transportation started in 1986, taking over from Seaboard System Railroad.
In 1999, CSX Transportation bought about half of another railroad called Conrail. They shared this purchase with their main competitor, Norfolk Southern Railway. In 2022, CSX bought Pan Am Railways. This helped them reach more areas in New England. Norfolk Southern is still CSX's biggest rival. They both handle most of the freight train lines in the eastern United States.
Contents
History
How CSX Started
CSX Corporation was formed on November 1, 1980. It was a merger between Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries.
The name "CSX" came about during talks between Chessie and Seaboard. The company leaders wanted a new name that didn't use either of the old names. They wanted it to show a new partnership. Employees suggested many names, often using combinations of initials. For a short time, they used "CSC" and "CSM," but these names were already taken.
Finally, lawyers decided to use "CSX." The name stuck. People said that "C" was for Chessie, "S" for Seaboard, and "X" had no special meaning. However, some reports say the "X" stood for "Consolidated." When "CSX" is used as a reporting mark (a code for train cars), it needs a fourth letter. This is because reporting marks ending in "X" usually mean the car is leased.
The Seaboard System Railroad was formed in 1982. It brought together many smaller railroads. These included the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Louisville & Nashville Railroad, and Georgia Railroad. They were known as the "Family Lines."
The Chessie System came from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. This company had merged with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Western Maryland Railway.
Even though CSX Corporation formed in 1980, you didn't see "CSX" on trains until 1986. That year, Seaboard System changed its name to CSX Transportation. By August 1987, all the major railroads under Chessie System had also merged into CSX Transportation. This brought all the main CSX train lines under one name.
Buying Conrail
On June 23, 1997, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway decided to buy Conrail. Conrail was a large railroad system in the Northeastern United States. It had been created in 1976 by combining several struggling railway companies.
On June 6, 1998, the government approved the purchase. CSX bought 42 percent of Conrail's assets. Norfolk Southern received the other 58 percent. This deal added about 3,800 miles (6,100 km) of track to CSX's network. Many of these tracks used to belong to the New York Central Railroad. CSX started running trains on its new Conrail lines on June 1, 1999. Now, CSX serves most of the Eastern United States and some Canadian cities.
Not all of Conrail was divided up. Some parts were important to both CSX and Norfolk Southern. Neither company wanted the other to have full control. These small parts stayed owned by "Conrail Shared Assets." This means they are run by a separate company owned by both CSX and Norfolk Southern.
CSX Today
In 2008, CSX introduced its current slogan: "How Tomorrow Moves."
In 2014, Canadian Pacific Railway wanted to merge with CSX. But CSX said no. Canadian Pacific then tried to buy Norfolk Southern in 2015, but that also didn't happen.
In 2017, Hunter Harrison became the new CEO of CSX. He quickly started changing how CSX operated. He wanted to use a system called "precision railroading." This system focuses on making train operations more efficient. Sadly, Hunter Harrison passed away in December 2017. His successors have continued to use his ideas. This has led to changes like converting some large train yards into simpler ones.
Expanding North
On November 30, 2020, CSX announced it would buy Pan Am Railways. Pan Am Railways is a train company based in New England. The government approved the purchase on April 14, 2022. As part of the deal, Norfolk Southern Railway gained rights to use some CSX tracks. CSX finished buying Pan Am Railways on June 1, 2022.
Connecting to Mexico
On June 28, 2023, CSX and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced plans to buy the Meridian and Bigbee Railroad (MNBR). This railroad is 168 miles (270 km) long. It connects CSX in Alabama to Meridian, Mississippi. From Meridian, it links to the Meridian Speedway, which heads west.
If the government approves this purchase, CSX will run trains between Montgomery and Myrtlewood. CPKC will get the section between Myrtlewood and Meridian. This new connection will help CSX send goods to Mexico more directly. It will allow CSX trains to connect with CPKC trains without needing a third railroad in between.
Special Trains
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CSX used to operate the "Juice Train." This train carried fresh orange juice for Tropicana Products. It ran between Bradenton, Florida, and Jersey City, New Jersey. The Juice Train was known for being a very efficient way to transport perishable goods. In 2017, the special Juice Train stopped running north of Tampa, Florida. Now, regular freight trains deliver the juice cars. It still runs locally between Bradenton and Tampa.
CSX also runs "Coke Express" trains. These trains carry coke, which is a type of fuel. Coke is used for making steel, generating power, and other things. These trains run between cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago.
Cool Locomotives
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CSX has rebuilt many of its locomotives. Some older models have been updated with new brakes, air conditioning, and modern controls. In 2019, 25 SD70AC locomotives were rebuilt. They received new engines and improved controls. CSX also works with a company called Wabtec to upgrade its GE locomotives. These upgrades make the engines more powerful and add new electronic systems.
CSX also has some special locomotives from Amtrak. These are used for executive office cars and trains that check the condition of the tracks.
After Hunter Harrison became CEO, CSX started storing many locomotives. This continued after his death. In January 2018, the company had over 900 locomotives in storage.
In 2018, CSX ordered ten new SD70ACe-T4 locomotives. These were delivered in 2019. CSX also has a contract with Wabtec to modernize its CW44 locomotives. Nearly thirty of these have been updated. In February 2024, CSX and Wabtec made a new deal to modernize over 200 more locomotives by 2028.
On April 30, 2019, CSX showed off two special locomotives. Numbers 911 and 1776 were painted to honor first responders and veterans. Another special unit, CSX 3194, was unveiled on August 22, 2019. It honors law enforcement. On September 13, 2022, CSX unveiled locomotive 4568. It was painted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Operation Lifesaver, a rail safety program.
Special Paint Jobs
In May 2023, CSX started a "heritage unit" program. This means they will paint some locomotives in the colors of older railroads that became part of CSX. The first one was ES44AH number 1827, painted for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. CSX plans to paint 20 heritage locomotives. Their numbers will often match the year the original railroad was founded.
Safety First
In 1995, CSX introduced a new safety rule. They banned steam locomotives and other old rail equipment from running on their tracks. This was due to safety concerns and increased risk.
Train Incidents
Like any large transportation system, CSX has had some train incidents. Here are a few notable ones:
- 1986 Miamisburg train derailment in Ohio.
- 1993 Big Bayou Canot rail accident in Alabama.
- 1996 Maryland train collision in Silver Spring, Maryland.
- 2001 CSX 8888 incident in Ohio. This event inspired the 2010 movie Unstoppable.
- 2001 Howard Street Tunnel fire in Baltimore, Maryland.
- 2012 Ellicott City, Maryland, train derailment.
- 2017 Biloxi, Mississippi, collision with a tour bus stuck on tracks.
- 2017 Hyndman, Pennsylvania, derailment with a chemical release and fire.
- 2018 Cayce, South Carolina, train collision involving an Amtrak train.
- 2021 Barnsley, Kentucky, tornado. A tornado struck and derailed a CSX train, throwing some cars uphill.
- 2023 Rockland County, New York, wildfire. Wildfires broke out, and officials are investigating if a CSX train caused sparks.
- 2023 Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Several cars derailed, causing a large fire. Residents were evacuated as a safety measure.
Big Train Yards
What is a Hump Yard?
In a hump yard, trains are slowly pushed over a small hill. As the cars go over the top, they are uncoupled. Then, they roll down the hill by gravity onto the correct tracks. This helps sort the cars for new trains.
- Avon, Indiana – Avon Yard
- Cincinnati, Ohio – Queensgate Yard
- Cumberland, Maryland
- Nashville, Tennessee – Radnor Yard
- Selkirk, New York – Selkirk Yard
- Waycross, Georgia – Rice Yard
See also
In Spanish: CSX Transportation para niños
- History of railroads in Michigan
- List of CSX Transportation lines
- List of CSX Transportation predecessor railroads
- National Gateway
- Railex (refrigerated rail service – CSX and Union Pacific Railroad)
- Union Pacific Railroad
- Holiday Junction#Duke Energy Holiday Trains
