CSX Climbs to 5th in Industry on 2025 Fortune World's Most Admired Companies List

February 6, 2025 – CSX has once again solidified its reputation as a leader in the transportation sector, earning a spot on the 2025 Fortune World's Most Admired Companies list. The Jacksonville-based freight rail company not only retained its standing among the top companies globally but also achieved an improved industry ranking, moving up from 6th place to an impressive 5th.

"Our inclusion on Fortune’s 2025 list and improvement in our industry ranking underscore the strength of our ONE CSX team, our strategy, and our focus on creating long-term value for our stakeholders," said Joe Hinrichs, CSX president and chief executive officer. "It is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of everyone at CSX."

This annual recognition from Fortune, in partnership with Korn Ferry, celebrates corporate excellence and is widely regarded as one of the most reputable assessments of company performance and reputation. The achievement underscores CSX's continued commitment to innovation, service quality, and leadership in the transportation industry.

The methodology behind the Fortune World's Most Admired Companies ranking is thorough and data-driven, highlighting only the best in class. Fortune and Korn Ferry began the process with approximately 1,500 companies, including the 1,000 largest U.S. firms by revenue and key international players from Fortune's Global 500 database, each earning at least $10 billion in annual revenue. From there, the list was refined to 650 companies across 30 countries, representing the highest revenue earners in each industry.

To evaluate companies, Korn Ferry surveyed 3,380 executives, directors, and analysts, focusing on nine criteria that reflect corporate strength and reputation. These range from financial performance, quality of management, and innovation to responsibility to the community and the ability to recruit top talent. Each company needed to score in the top half of its industry to earn placement on the list. For particularly competitive industries, only the highest-performing companies made the cut.

CSX's improvement in its industry ranking reflects the company's ongoing efforts to deliver exceptional results across multiple dimensions. Its forward-thinking approach, operational excellence, and dedication to sustainability have made it a standout in the transportation industry. This achievement also highlights CSX’s ability to strengthen its reputation while continuing to adapt to evolving industry challenges.

CSX's place among the world's most admired companies signals a bright future for the rail giant and promises further success as it continues to innovate and lead in the years ahead.