Learn About CSX: Our History
A leader in freight rail transportation for 180 years, CSX's roots date back to the early nineteenth century. Since then, CSX has built on the foundation laid by early pioneers who had a vision to create a railroad that safely and reliably services the ever-increasing demands of a growing nation.
Timeline
1828: The Birth of American Rail
The CSX family tree began on July 4, 1828, when construction began on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. America's first common carrier railroad, the B&O played a vital role in the growth and development of the mid-Atlantic region, and paved the way for other regional railroads to follow.
1830 - 1861: The Expansion Era
The earliest stages of the nation's rail infrastructure received a major boost throughout this era as new railroads were chartered up and down the East Coast:
January 27, 1830: The Lexington & Ohio Railroad (which went on to become part of the L&N)
February 10, 1830: The Petersburg Railroad
March 8, 1832: The Portsmouth & Roanoke Railroad (Seaboard Air Line Railroad's oldest predecessor)
January 15, 1834: The Montgomery Rail Road
February 25, 1834: The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company (RF&P)
February 18, 1836: The Louisa Railroad Company (forerunner to the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway)
December 21, 1836: Georgia's The Western & Atlantic Railroad Company
December 11, 1845: The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, including the 2,228-foot Cumberland Mountain Tunnel
December 27, 1847: The Atlantic & LaGrange Rail Road (Atlanta and West Point Rail Road Company's oldest predecessor)
March 5, 1850: The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N)
May 27, 1852: The Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad, the Western Maryland's (WM) rail ancestor
February 15, 1853: The Covington & Ohio Railroad Company
Pete Cooper's legendary Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive, debuted on the B&O with a jaunt from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills and back on April 30, 1830.
In 1849, Virginia approved the Blue Ridge Railroad Charter, a state enterprise, to run tracks over and through the Blue Ridge Mountains. By the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Virginia Central Railroad Company had 192 miles of main line between Richmond and Covington, Va.
In April 1851, the world got its first glimpse at the future of rail when the Page Locomotive, the world's first electric locomotive, took a test run along the C&O's Washington Branch.
1860s: War, Reconstruction and Rail
When the Civil War began in 1861, railroads were a vital part of shipping supplies and, as a result, a constant target throughout the war. In May of 1861, the B&O fell victim to one of the most notorious raids in railroad history when Andrew "Stonewall" Jackson severed the rail lines. Jackson and his forces were reportedly able to hijack 42 locomotives and 386 rail cars from the B&O and put them to work for the Confederacy.
In 1868, with the states reunited and the country trying to get back on track, Virginia and West Virginia legislatures provided for the completion of lines from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. The Virginia Central Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad as the company assumed the rights, interests and privileges of the Virginia Central and the Covington and Ohio Railroads.
1870s - 1890s: The Century's End
In 1871, the Atlantic Coast Line name appeared for the first time.
In 1873, the Seaboard Air Line name debuted. The Atlantic Coast Line name existed through 1967, until it was absorbed by Seaboard. The Seaboard name was retired in 1986, when it became part of CSX.
The C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Railroad was reorganized between 1873 and 1878, and renamed Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
In 1887, President Grover Cleveland signed the Interstate Commerce Act into law, regulating the nation's railroads.
In 1895, 65 years after Tom Thumb's historic debut and 44 years after the Page Locomotive's test, the replacement for the steam engine officially arrived as an electric locomotive began running regularly on the B&O.
1900s - 1920s: A Century of Consolidation Begins
On January 1, 1900, the Chicago & West Michigan Railway, the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad and the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railway were consolidated into the Pere Marquette Railroad.
In 1908, Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad (CC&O) was formed. In 1924, the ACL and L&N agreed to terms on a 99-year lease with the CC&O.
By 1916, the nation's rail growth had peaked with over 254,000 track miles.
In 1927, American rail turned 100 years old as the B&O celebrated its centennial.
1940s - 1970s: Consolidation Continues
June 6, 1947: The Pere Marquette Railway, principally a Michigan line, merged into the C&O.
August 30, 1957: Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway merged into the L&N
February 1963: C&O acquired stock control of the country's first major railroad, the B&O. The acquisition was the first in a series that would catapult the C&O into an even greater rail force.
1964: C&O/B&O filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to acquire control of the Western Maryland Railway.
1965: C&O filed with the ICC to acquire control of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB) and announced plans to merge with Norfolk & Western.
1966: The ICC approved the CSS&SB bid.
July 1, 1967: The Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line joined forces as Seaboard Coast Line. In 1969, the company expanded with the addition of the Piedmont & Northern Railway Company.
1972: Seaboard Coastal Line, the L&N, CC&O, Georgia Railroad and the West Point Route became known collectively as The Family Lines.
February 26, 1973: The C&O,, B&O and WM re-christened its individual rail lines with a single name: Chessie System Railroads.
April 1, 1976: The Consolidated Rail Company Ð Conrail Ð was formed. Conrail's network reached into Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, West Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.
1980s: The Emergence of CSX
On October 14, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, which enabled railroads to compete without government regulation. Prices came down, traffic went up and the rail companies began to reverse decades of financial woe.
On November 1, 1980, the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc. united and CSX Corporation was born.
In 1983, the foundation for today's CSX continued to solidify. The Seaboard System Railroad Inc. formed after the members of The Family Lines, SCL, L&N, CC&O and the Georgia Group (excluding the Western Railway of Alabama), formally merged on January 1.
In 1984, CSX grew beyond rail as it acquired control of a barge unit, American Commercial Lines Inc. That growth continued in 1986 when the ocean vessel company Sealand joined CSX Corporation.
On July 1, 1986, the Seaboard System Railroad Inc. became CSX Transportation Inc.
In 1997, the B&O merged completely into the C&O. On September 2 of that year the C&O officially adopted the CSX Transportation name.
1990s - 2000s: Focused on the Future
Between 1997 and 1999, CSX and Norfolk Southern had both set their sights on Conrail's operations, which ran through the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Ultimately, CSX and NS agreed to partner on the acquisition, splitting Conrail's operations and resources. CSX bought 42% of the company and gained 3,200 miles of track, which became the last major addition to CSX's current network.
On July 22, 1999, CSX announced it was selling Sealand to shipping partner A.P. Moller-Maersk Lines. The sale allowed CSX to place a greater emphasis on improving rail service and managing the resources acquired in the Conrail purchase.
In 2002, Michael J. Ward was promoted to Chairman and CEO of CSX after his predecessor John Snow accepted a role as the United State's Secretary of the Treasury.
In March 2007, CSX became the first company in the transportation industry to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders Program.
In September, 2007, as a result of the "Rail Renaissance" and operational improvements, CSX investors received their third straight year of returns that ranked in the top 5% of S&P 500 companies.
Today
We're proud of our strong heritage, but we take even greater pride in the job we're doing and the future we're creating today. Our 21,000-mile network now covers 23 states and serves over two-thirds of the American population.
We have never been more vital to the nation or better positioned to serve it. We are improving customer service and operational performance and introducing programs like RailEx, which ships food and consumer products faster than ever before, and SpeedPlus, which bundles rail with trucking and warehousing into a single product.
We're doing everything we can to build a railroad that will meet the needs of our customers, our employees, our investors and our neighbors, now and for the future.
CSX is How Tomorrow Moves
The CSX family tree began on July 4, 1828, when construction began on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. America's first common carrier railroad, the B&O played a vital role in the growth and development of the mid-Atlantic region, and paved the way for other regional railroads to follow.
1830 - 1861: The Expansion Era
The earliest stages of the nation's rail infrastructure received a major boost throughout this era as new railroads were chartered up and down the East Coast:
January 27, 1830: The Lexington & Ohio Railroad (which went on to become part of the L&N)
February 10, 1830: The Petersburg Railroad
March 8, 1832: The Portsmouth & Roanoke Railroad (Seaboard Air Line Railroad's oldest predecessor)
January 15, 1834: The Montgomery Rail Road
February 25, 1834: The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company (RF&P)
February 18, 1836: The Louisa Railroad Company (forerunner to the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway)
December 21, 1836: Georgia's The Western & Atlantic Railroad Company
December 11, 1845: The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, including the 2,228-foot Cumberland Mountain Tunnel
December 27, 1847: The Atlantic & LaGrange Rail Road (Atlanta and West Point Rail Road Company's oldest predecessor)
March 5, 1850: The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N)
May 27, 1852: The Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad, the Western Maryland's (WM) rail ancestor
February 15, 1853: The Covington & Ohio Railroad Company
Pete Cooper's legendary Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive, debuted on the B&O with a jaunt from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills and back on April 30, 1830.
In 1849, Virginia approved the Blue Ridge Railroad Charter, a state enterprise, to run tracks over and through the Blue Ridge Mountains. By the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Virginia Central Railroad Company had 192 miles of main line between Richmond and Covington, Va.
In April 1851, the world got its first glimpse at the future of rail when the Page Locomotive, the world's first electric locomotive, took a test run along the C&O's Washington Branch.
1860s: War, Reconstruction and Rail
When the Civil War began in 1861, railroads were a vital part of shipping supplies and, as a result, a constant target throughout the war. In May of 1861, the B&O fell victim to one of the most notorious raids in railroad history when Andrew "Stonewall" Jackson severed the rail lines. Jackson and his forces were reportedly able to hijack 42 locomotives and 386 rail cars from the B&O and put them to work for the Confederacy.
In 1868, with the states reunited and the country trying to get back on track, Virginia and West Virginia legislatures provided for the completion of lines from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. The Virginia Central Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad as the company assumed the rights, interests and privileges of the Virginia Central and the Covington and Ohio Railroads.
1870s - 1890s: The Century's End
In 1871, the Atlantic Coast Line name appeared for the first time.
In 1873, the Seaboard Air Line name debuted. The Atlantic Coast Line name existed through 1967, until it was absorbed by Seaboard. The Seaboard name was retired in 1986, when it became part of CSX.
The C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Railroad was reorganized between 1873 and 1878, and renamed Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
In 1887, President Grover Cleveland signed the Interstate Commerce Act into law, regulating the nation's railroads.
In 1895, 65 years after Tom Thumb's historic debut and 44 years after the Page Locomotive's test, the replacement for the steam engine officially arrived as an electric locomotive began running regularly on the B&O.
1900s - 1920s: A Century of Consolidation Begins
On January 1, 1900, the Chicago & West Michigan Railway, the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad and the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railway were consolidated into the Pere Marquette Railroad.
In 1908, Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad (CC&O) was formed. In 1924, the ACL and L&N agreed to terms on a 99-year lease with the CC&O.
By 1916, the nation's rail growth had peaked with over 254,000 track miles.
In 1927, American rail turned 100 years old as the B&O celebrated its centennial.
1940s - 1970s: Consolidation Continues
June 6, 1947: The Pere Marquette Railway, principally a Michigan line, merged into the C&O.
August 30, 1957: Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway merged into the L&N
February 1963: C&O acquired stock control of the country's first major railroad, the B&O. The acquisition was the first in a series that would catapult the C&O into an even greater rail force.
1964: C&O/B&O filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to acquire control of the Western Maryland Railway.
1965: C&O filed with the ICC to acquire control of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB) and announced plans to merge with Norfolk & Western.
1966: The ICC approved the CSS&SB bid.
July 1, 1967: The Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line joined forces as Seaboard Coast Line. In 1969, the company expanded with the addition of the Piedmont & Northern Railway Company.
1972: Seaboard Coastal Line, the L&N, CC&O, Georgia Railroad and the West Point Route became known collectively as The Family Lines.
February 26, 1973: The C&O,, B&O and WM re-christened its individual rail lines with a single name: Chessie System Railroads.
April 1, 1976: The Consolidated Rail Company Ð Conrail Ð was formed. Conrail's network reached into Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, West Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.
1980s: The Emergence of CSX
On October 14, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, which enabled railroads to compete without government regulation. Prices came down, traffic went up and the rail companies began to reverse decades of financial woe.
On November 1, 1980, the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc. united and CSX Corporation was born.
In 1983, the foundation for today's CSX continued to solidify. The Seaboard System Railroad Inc. formed after the members of The Family Lines, SCL, L&N, CC&O and the Georgia Group (excluding the Western Railway of Alabama), formally merged on January 1.
In 1984, CSX grew beyond rail as it acquired control of a barge unit, American Commercial Lines Inc. That growth continued in 1986 when the ocean vessel company Sealand joined CSX Corporation.
On July 1, 1986, the Seaboard System Railroad Inc. became CSX Transportation Inc.
In 1997, the B&O merged completely into the C&O. On September 2 of that year the C&O officially adopted the CSX Transportation name.
1990s - 2000s: Focused on the Future
Between 1997 and 1999, CSX and Norfolk Southern had both set their sights on Conrail's operations, which ran through the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Ultimately, CSX and NS agreed to partner on the acquisition, splitting Conrail's operations and resources. CSX bought 42% of the company and gained 3,200 miles of track, which became the last major addition to CSX's current network.
On July 22, 1999, CSX announced it was selling Sealand to shipping partner A.P. Moller-Maersk Lines. The sale allowed CSX to place a greater emphasis on improving rail service and managing the resources acquired in the Conrail purchase.
In 2002, Michael J. Ward was promoted to Chairman and CEO of CSX after his predecessor John Snow accepted a role as the United State's Secretary of the Treasury.
In March 2007, CSX became the first company in the transportation industry to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders Program.
In September, 2007, as a result of the "Rail Renaissance" and operational improvements, CSX investors received their third straight year of returns that ranked in the top 5% of S&P 500 companies.
Today
We're proud of our strong heritage, but we take even greater pride in the job we're doing and the future we're creating today. Our 21,000-mile network now covers 23 states and serves over two-thirds of the American population.
We have never been more vital to the nation or better positioned to serve it. We are improving customer service and operational performance and introducing programs like RailEx, which ships food and consumer products faster than ever before, and SpeedPlus, which bundles rail with trucking and warehousing into a single product.
We're doing everything we can to build a railroad that will meet the needs of our customers, our employees, our investors and our neighbors, now and for the future.
CSX is How Tomorrow Moves