CSX earns top spot as best-performing railroad for intermodal customers

A cluster of intermodal customers have ranked CSX as the top-performing railroad in North America.

The Class I attained that honor according to an "Intermodal Service Scorecard" compiled by the Journal of Commerce that assessed railroads’ performance through 2023’s first four months. To create the scorecard, more than 100 shippers and intermodal marketing companies were invited to perform a satisfaction assessment.

Respondents cited their satisfaction with CSX's domestic intermodal service as a key driver of the Class I’s No. 1 ranking, CSX officials said in a press release. Customers highlighted improvements in the railroad’s fluidity, train speed and customer service.

"CSX is proud to be recognized by our customers for the quality of our service delivery. [Our] service performance has returned to — or in many cases surpassed — pre-pandemic levels," said CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs.

The Class I recently reported that first-quarter intermodal trip plan compliance surpassed 95%, meaning the railroad performed well in meeting rail-car scheduling plans. In addition, the Surface Transportation Board recently released CSX from a temporary requirement for Class Is to submit bi-weekly service metrics reports. Now, CSX is the only Class I that’s no longer subject to that requirement.

"We know that we must demonstrate to our customers that we can provide a sustained high level of service. And … we’re committed to continually partnering with our customers to deliver solutions that meet their business needs," said Hinrichs.