CSX, State of Ohio Dedicate Niles Fifth Street Bridge
Stimulus Funds, Private Dollars Deliver Jobs, Upgraded Freight Rail Service
NILES, Ohio - July 13, 2012 - CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) today hosted a dedication ceremony for the new Fifth Street Bridge in Niles, Ohio. The upgraded bridge's higher vertical clearance helps clear the way for CSX's upgraded, double-stack freight rail corridor linking East Coast sea ports with the CSX Northwest Ohio Terminal and other Midwest distribution and manufacturing hubs.
The $1.4 million composite steel bridge was paid for through a combination of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and CSX. It is one of the first fully completed clearance projects in Ohio being undertaken as part of the National Gateway, an approximately $850 million infrastructure public-private partnership.
"The Fifth Street Bridge is a perfect example of local economic growth driven by private and public investment in our nation's infrastructure," said Mayor Ralph Infante, Jr. of Niles, Ohio. "This new, modern bridge is a welcome addition to our community and an exciting symbol of the future of the American freight transportation investments needed to keep communities such as ours positioned to compete domestically and internationally."
The bridge is one of a number of clearances that will allow double-stack freight rail access to CSX's new Northwest Ohio Terminal, a 185-acre world-class freight distribution hub and the nerve center of CSX's nationwide intermodal network. Located near North Baltimore, Ohio, the new facility employs more than 200 full-time employees and serves as the transfer point for hundreds of thousands of freight containers annually.
"We are pleased to recognize the continued progress of the National Gateway," said Louis Renjel, vice president of strategic infrastructure initiatives, CSX. "Along with other planned investments, the new Fifth Street Bridge will help prepare CSX and the state of Ohio to meet increasing freight transportation demands and to enhance the flow of goods throughout the nation."
National Gateway improvement projects will increase the vertical clearances at 61 locations on CSX rail lines in the region to accommodate intermodal trains carrying double-stack intermodal containers. To-date, 14 locations including the Fifth Street Bridge have been cleared on the existing CSX rail corridor between North Baltimore, Ohio and Chambersburg, Pa., keeping Phase One of the project on track for Spring 2013 completion. One of the nation's largest transportation projects, the National Gateway will create more than 50,000 jobs over a 30 year period by increasing the amount of freight that can be transported on a single train. When completed, the National Gateway will provide more than $10 billion in public benefits in the route's first 30 years of operations by decreasing fuel consumption, lowering emissions, improving safety, reducing highway maintenance costs and saving shipping costs.
To learn more about the National Gateway, visit www.nationalgateway.org.
# # #
CSX and Regional Partners Reduce Emissions to Help Bring Cleaner Air to Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, La. - July 9, 2012 - CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) for the New Orleans metropolitan area are contributing to better air quality in Louisiana through a jointly funded GenSet ultra-low emission locomotive. Housed at CSX's Gentilly Yard in New Orleans, the GenSet uses technology that reduces carbon emissions by 25 percent and nitrous oxide and particulate matter by more than 80 percent.
"This joint effort is a great example of public and private organizations working together to serve our communities," said Carl Gerhardstein, assistant vice president, environmental systems and sustainability, CSX. "CSX is committed to environmental stewardship, and this locomotive will contribute to our newly announced goal to reduce the company's greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 6 to 8 percent by 2020. That, in turn, helps to improve air quality in the communities we serve."
GenSet technology was incorporated in the retrofit of an existing locomotive used for switching rail cars at Gentilly Yard. The retrofit process replaces the traditional large, single diesel engine with three small diesel engines, allowing the locomotive to use only the energy it needs to pull its load. Monitoring technology takes the engines into "sleep" mode after a period of inactivity to conserve fuel and reduce emissions.
The GenSet retrofitting process was partially funded through a grant awarded to the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program as part of the 2005 Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). CSX funded the remainder of the retrofit as part of the company's commitment to fuel efficiency and emissions reduction.
"Continuing to invest in sustainable technology is critical as we continue to rebuild the city of New Orleans," said Rebecca Otte, RPC's Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership Coordinator. "Supporting this initiative with CSX will improve air quality in our region and in turn serve the people of the New Orleans metropolitan area."
The Gentilly locomotive is one of three recently completed DERA-funded GenSets, and one of more than 30 GenSets in operation on CSX's network overall. Over the past decade, CSX has invested more than $1.75 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet, helping the company to improve fuel efficiency by 90 percent since 1980. In 2011, CSX was the only railroad named to the Carbon Performance Leadership Index by the not-for-profit Carbon Disclosure Project.
More information about CSX's environmental commitment is available on the company's web site www.csx.com.
About the Regional Planning Commission
The Regional Planning Commission (RPC) for Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany Parishes, is a 26-member board of local elected officials and citizen members. This board is supported by a staff of 22 professionals with broad experience and education, in a variety of areas including urban and regional planning, community development, economics, engineering, government, history, law, landscape architecture, political science, sustainable development, transportation, geography and other disciplines.
About the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership
The Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership, housed at the RPC, is a U.S. Department of Energy-designated Clean Cities Coalition that brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies. For more information on the Clean Fuel Partnership visit: cleanfuelpartnership.org. For additional information on the Clean Cities program, visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/.
# # #
CSX Corporation Declares Quarterly Dividend
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 11, 2012 - Earlier today, the Board of Directors of CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) approved a $0.14 per share quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on September 14, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 31, 2012.
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation's leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company's transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX's network connects more than 240 short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).
# # #
CSX Nearly Halfway to Meeting 2012 Veteran Hiring Pledge
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - July 10, 2012 - CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) is nearly halfway to meeting its pledge to hire approximately 1,000 veterans this year, joining other railroads and rail suppliers in support of the White House Joining Forces initiative. Joining Forces is a national partnership organized by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to support America's military service members and their families.
"We are honored to join the nation's railroads in recognizing the contributions of our veterans and continuing to offer them fulfilling career opportunities," said Lisa Mancini, senior vice president and chief administrative officer, CSX. "The nearly one in five current CSX employees who are active or former service members bring unique skills, accountability and teamwork to their jobs, helping our railroads operate safely and efficiently."
CSX's announcement coincides with an industry-wide commitment, led by the American Association of Railroads (AAR), to hire more than 5,000 veterans in 2012. AAR president and CEO Edward R. Hamberger, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and White House Joining Forces executive director Captain Bradley Cooper emphasized at a press conference today that the nation's rail industry is well-positioned to provide career opportunities for men and women transitioning from active duty.
"The commitment from AAR and companies in the railway industry to veteran hiring is exactly the type of effort we hoped to see when the First Lady and Dr. Biden launched Joining Forces last year - companies stepping up to hire our nation's veterans," Cooper said. "The railway industry clearly recognizes that hiring veterans is good for their companies' bottom line and we are appreciative of their efforts to serve veterans as well as they have served this country."
CSX's long-standing commitment to supporting military service members has been recognized by numerous organizations, most recently by CivilianJobs.com as the Most Valuable Employer for Military. CSX is the only two-time recipient of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, and is regularly ranked among the top three companies on G.I. Jobs magazine's Top 100 Military Friendly Employers list.
The company supports employees who are National Guard or Reserve members by extending salary and benefits to employees called up to active duty. In addition, CSX serves more military facilities than any other major U.S. railroad, handling thousands of carloads annually for overseas deployments and training exercises.
For more information about Joining Forces, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.
About CSX
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation's leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. CSX's network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX's network connects more than 240 short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).