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CUSTOMER FOCUS

From humble beginnings of horse-drawn rail cars to electric lo-
comotives capable of moving hundreds of tons of cargo, CSX
celebrates a rich history covering almost 190 years.

The CSX story began with America’s first common carrier, The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Originally powered by horses, the
B&O set in motion the events that would lead to America’s most
efficient means of transporting goods. Several years later, the
term “horsepower” was created to convince potential buyers of
the value of the steam engine comparing it to the work done by
horses. (Courtesy of the B&O Railroad Museum.)
The CSX family tree began on February 28, 1827, when the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad, America’s first common carrier rail-
road, was chartered. Its original line covered one state and 13
miles; today CSX covers 23 states on a 21,000-mile network.
In 1980, the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries united, and CSX Corporation was born. This era
also marked a major change, as President Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, which enabled railroads to com-
pete partially without government regulation. Prices came down, traffic went up, safety improved and the rail com-
panies began to reverse decades of financial woe.
The Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc. came together, and CSX Corporation was created to
serve the eastern half of the nation. The C stands for Chessie, the S for Seaboard and the X for the multiplication
effect, recognizing the two companies coming together.
On December 29, 1982, the Seaboard Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville (under the Family Lines entity) were
merged to form the Seaboard System Railroad, Inc. This was the first step under the CSX Corporation holding com-
pany to combine all the railroads into one.
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, 1983.
In 1984 CSX became a multimodal company when it acquired control of a barge unit, American Commercial Lines
Inc.
In 1986 the ocean container shipping company, Sea-Land Service, joined CSX Corporation and the Seaboard and
Chessie Railroads became CSX Transportation.

In 1987 B&O merges completely with the C&O, and the C&O officially adopts the CSX Transportation name.
Focused on the Future – As a well-established rail industry leader on the East Coast, CSX launched programs that
helped not only the industry but also the world. In March 2007, CSX became the first company in the transportation

Volume 3 : Issue 1 Page 18