v3.26.1
Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements contain all normal, recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Where applicable, prior year information has been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), certain information and disclosures normally included in the notes to the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been omitted from these interim financial statements. CSX suggests that these financial statements be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes included in CSX's most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as any subsequently filed current reports on Form 8-K.
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
The Company's fiscal periods are based upon the calendar year. Except as otherwise specified, references to “second quarter(s)” or “six months” indicate CSX's fiscal periods ending June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2025, and references to "year-end" indicate the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
New Accounting Pronouncements
New Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. This standard update requires additional disclosures about certain expenses in commonly presented expense captions. The Company is required to adopt the guidance for its 2027 annual report on Form 10-K, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of these amendments on its disclosures, but this standard update will not impact the Company's results of operations or financial position.

In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-06, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software. This standard update modernizes the capitalization criteria for internal-use software, eliminating references to project stages and instead requiring that projects meet completion probability criteria before costs can be capitalized. This guidance is effective beginning first quarter 2028, though early adoption is permitted, and can be applied using a prospective, retrospective, or modified transition approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of these amendments but does not anticipate that adoption will have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.

In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-10, Accounting for Government Grants by Business Entities. This standard establishes the accounting for government grants received by a business entity, including guidance for both grants related to an asset and grants related to income. This guidance is effective beginning first quarter 2029, though early adoption is permitted, and can be applied using a modified prospective, modified retrospective, or full retrospective transition approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance but does not anticipate that adoption will have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.
Stock Plans and Share-Based Compensation Under CSX's share-based compensation plans, awards consist of performance units, stock options and restricted stock units for management and stock grants for directors. Share-based compensation expense for awards under share-based compensation plans is measured using the fair value of the award on the grant date and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service period of the respective award. Alternatively, expense is recognized upon death or over an accelerated service period for employees whose agreements allow for continued vesting upon retirement or separation. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur.
Casualty
Personal Injury
Personal injury reserves represent liabilities for employee work-related and third-party injuries. Work-related injuries for CSXT employees are primarily subject to the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (“FELA”). CSXT retains an independent actuary to assist management in assessing the value of personal injury claims. An analysis is performed by the actuary quarterly and is reviewed by management. This analysis did not result in a material adjustment to the personal injury reserve in the quarters or six months ended June 30, 2026, or June 30, 2025.
NOTE 4.    Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves, continued

Occupational
Occupational reserves represent liabilities arising from allegations of exposure to certain materials in the workplace (such as solvents, soaps, chemicals and diesel fumes), past exposure to asbestos or allegations of chronic physical injuries resulting from work conditions (such as repetitive stress injuries). The Company retains an independent actuary to analyze the Company’s historical claim filings, settlement amounts, and dismissal rates to assist in determining future anticipated claim filing rates and average settlement values. This analysis is performed by the actuary and reviewed by management quarterly. The analysis did not result in a material adjustment to the occupational reserve in the quarters or six months ended June 30, 2026, or June 30, 2025.
Environmental
Environmental
The Company is a party to various proceedings related to environmental issues, including administrative and judicial proceedings involving private parties and regulatory agencies. The Company has been identified as a potentially responsible party at approximately 210 environmentally impaired sites. Many of these are, or may be, subject to remedial action under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"), also known as the Superfund Law, or similar state statutes. Most of these proceedings arose from environmental conditions on properties used for ongoing or discontinued railroad operations. A number of these proceedings, however, are based on allegations that the Company, or its predecessors, sent hazardous substances to facilities owned or operated by others for treatment, recycling or disposal. In addition, some of the Company's land holdings were leased to others for commercial or industrial uses that may have resulted in releases of hazardous substances or other regulated materials onto the property and could give rise to proceedings against the Company.

In any such proceedings, the Company is subject to environmental clean-up and enforcement actions under the Superfund Law, as well as similar state laws that may impose joint and several liability for clean-up and enforcement costs on current and former owners and operators of a site without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct. These costs could be substantial.

The Company reviews its role with respect to each site identified at least quarterly. Based on management's review process, amounts have been recorded to cover contingent anticipated future environmental remediation costs with respect to each site to the extent such costs are reasonably estimable and probable. Payments related to these liabilities are expected to be made over the next several years. Environmental remediation costs are included in purchased services and other on the consolidated income statements.
Currently, the Company does not possess sufficient information to reasonably estimate the amounts of additional liabilities, if any, on some sites until completion of future environmental studies. In addition, conditions that are currently unknown could, at any given location, result in additional exposure, the amount and materiality of which cannot presently be reasonably estimated. Based upon information currently available, however, the Company believes its environmental reserves accurately reflect the estimated cost of remedial actions currently required.
Revenues The Company maintains an allowance for expected credit losses to provide for the estimated amount of receivables that will not be collected. The allowance is based upon an assessment of risk characteristics, historical payment experience, and the age of outstanding receivables adjusted for forward-looking economic conditions as necessary.
Fair Value Measurements
Investments
The Company's investment assets are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet in accordance with the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic in the ASC. They are valued with assistance from a third-party trustee and consist of exchange-traded funds, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, government securities, and short-term time deposits. The exchange-traded funds are valued at quoted market prices determined in an active market, which are Level 1 inputs.

The corporate bonds, asset-backed securities and government securities are valued using broker quotes that utilize observable market inputs, which are Level 2 inputs. The carrying amounts of time deposits, which are reported in the consolidated balance sheet using Level 2 inputs, approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. Unrealized losses as of June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2025, were not material. The Company believes any impairment of investments held with gross unrealized losses to be temporary and not the result of credit risk.
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt is reported at carrying amount on the consolidated balance sheets and is the Company's only financial instrument with a fair value significantly different from its carrying amount. The fair value of a company's debt is a measure of its current value under present market conditions, but does not impact the financial statements under current accounting rules. The majority of the Company's long-term debt is valued with assistance from a third party that utilizes closing transactions, market quotes or market values of comparable debt. For those instruments not valued by the third party, the fair value has been estimated by applying market rates of similar instruments to the scheduled contractual debt payments and maturities. These market rates are provided by the same third party. All of the inputs used to determine the fair value of the Company's long-term debt are Level 2 inputs.
Interest Rate Derivatives
The Company’s fixed-to-floating swaps are carried at fair value, which is determined with assistance from a third party based upon pricing models using inputs observed from actively quoted markets. All of the inputs used to determine the fair value of the fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps are Level 2 inputs.