Estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Congressional Budget Office anticipate a 67% growth in the freight industry by 2020. Already under strain, the nation's freight transportation infrastructure and highways will face even greater challenges as the total volume of freight increases.

Rail is the safest, most environmentally-friendly way to move goods over land and the key to meeting our nation's growing freight transportation needs. In order for us to be able to rely on rail transportation to help mitigate the problems associated with rising fuel costs, crowded highways, greenhouse gas emissions and more, it is critical that rail infrastructure is not only maintained, but enhanced.

Railroads are currently the only mode of transportation not significantly funded by the government. If the freight railroad industry only maintained its current share of the transportation market, it would need to spend $175 billion to $195 billion in the next 20 years just to accommodate freight needs. In order to expand the freight rail network, the industry would need to invest an additional $148 billion over the next 30 years to make sure that there is adequate rail capacity to meet future demand.

As a key player in the most capital intensive industry, CSX spent $1.7 billion, or 15% of its revenues, in 2007 alone on capital expenditures to meet future transportation needs. We're not stopping there. Over the next three years, we will invest over $5 billion in infrastructure enhancements. We are committed to doing our part, but we can't do it alone.

Working together with the public sector, CSX could do even more to meet the nation's needs.


Public/Private Partnerships

On May 1, 2008, CSX launched the National Gateway, a plan to create a more efficient rail route linking the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, improving the flow of rail traffic between these regions by increasing the use of double-stack trains. This public-private partnership -- expected to cost $800 million -- will upgrade tracks, equipment and facilities, and provide clearance allowing double-stack intermodal trains. These trains will carry cargo in standard-sized shipping containers that can also be carried efficiently by truck or ship.

Freight Rail Facts

• Railroads are currently the only mode of transportation not significantly funded by the government. If the freight railroad industry only maintained its current share of the transportation market, it would need to spend $175 billion to $195 billion in the next 20 years just to accommodate freight needs.


• Traffic congestion is at critical levels in many major U.S. cities, causing a $78 billion drain on U.S. economy due to lost time and fuel wasted.


• In order to expand the freight rail network, the industry would need to invest an additional $148 billion over the next 30 years to make sure that there is adequate rail capacity to meet future demand.


• Freight traffic is expected to increase 67% by 2020.


• One intermodal train can carry the load of more than 280 trucks, freeing room for approximately 1,100 cars.


• Each bulk and merchandise train can carry the load of up to 500 trucks.


• U.S. container traffic nearly doubled over the last decade, and this trend is expected to continue.


• In 2005, U.S. freight railroads hauled enough:
  
  • Wheat to make more than 400 loaves of bread for every man, woman and child in America
  
  
  • Corn to supply the lifetime corn requirements of 28 billion chickens or 287 million hogs, or to feed more than 27 million dairy cows for a year
  
  
  • Newsprint to print 11.4 billion newspapers -- more than half of all the papers printed in the U.S. each year
  
  
  • Coal to supply electricity to every home in America
  
  
  • Fertilizer to spread 203 pounds on every acre of corn, wheat and soybeans planted in the United States -- an area approximately equal to the combined land area of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas and Nebraska
  
  
  • Lumber to build approximately 1.1 million average-sized houses