Clean Air

More and more businesses are turning to rail, which offers a cost-effective and highly efficient alternative to trucking, to transport freight. CSX ensures that its locomotive technology is not only cost-effective and highly efficient, but also earth-friendly.

Trains can move a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Efficient use of fuel means less greenhouse gases or carbon emissions for our planet.

CSX was the first major transportation provider to voluntarily commit to a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions. CSX committed to reducing its emissions per revenue ton mile 8 percent by 2011. On June 7, 2011, the company announced that it reached its voluntary goal ahead of schedule. The achievement, expected by the end of 2011 but accomplished in late 2010, involved reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 million metric tons – the equivalent of taking 296,000 cars off the road for one year, or consuming more than 3.5 million fewer barrels of oil.

CSX’s emissions reduction goal is just one part of the company’s environmental stewardship plan, designed to continuously reduce the environmental footprint of freight transportation in the nation.

The EPA estimates that moving freight by rail emits 3 times less nitrogen oxide and particulates per ton mile than highway transportation. Shifting 10 percent of long-haul freight from the highway to rail would reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12 million tons. Railroads are the most environmentally friendly way to move freight across land.

Carbon Calculator

To help inform our customers of the most environmentally friendly way to move goods, CSX created an online Carbon Calculator to calculate the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions savings of specific rail shipments, and provide comparative data among transportation choices.

Try our Carbon Calculator to see the difference our customers make by choosing rail.

GenSet Locomotives

CSX partners with local and state governments and private-sector partners to introduce ultra-low emission Generator Set (GenSet) switching locomotives to rail yards throughout our network.

As fuel efficient and environmentally friendly locomotives, GenSets reduce nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions by 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by monitoring engine idling and switching to a "sleep" mode after a period of inactivity.

Rather than a large, single diesel engine and generator, GenSet units have 2 or 3 smaller, EPA-certified, ultra-clean diesel generators that automatically power up to produce only the force needed to pull the load.

Used primarily to switch cars in rail yards, GenSet locomotives have been introduced in multiple yards throughout our network.