CSX has reduced cargo theft incidents by more than 80% year over year through a targeted task force and operational changes focused on the Memphis rail corridor.
The task force was formed in 2024 after CSX identified a sharp increase in cargo theft in the Memphis area during the COVID-era surge in criminal activity. The rise in theft posed a growing concern for customer shipments, employee safety and surrounding communities, prompting the company to take a more focused, localized approach.
“Cargo theft is both a security issue and a policy issue,” according to Drew Sutter, assistant general counsel for CSX. “On the ground, it requires tactical solutions. Over the long term, it requires sustainable policies that address the broader impact on communities, employees and customers.”
The Memphis effort brought together multiple groups, including local law enforcement and CSX operational teams, in what company leaders described as a highly collaborative process. The focus centered on activity near CSX’s Leewood Yard, where trains were particularly vulnerable when stopping for extended periods.
To reduce risk in high traffic areas, CSX upgraded security around its Memphis facilities with enhanced fencing, lighting, and access controls, including roughly 14,000 feet of high security fencing and an additional 5,000 feet east of Leewood Yard. The company also added 30 surveillance cameras to support real time monitoring and investigations, strengthening security without disrupting operations.
One of the task force’s key challenges was finding ways to keep trains moving through the area without unnecessary stops. To address that risk, CSX implemented two major operational changes. The company introduced two direct trains running from its Leewood Yard in Memphis to Fairburn, Georgia, reducing dwell time in high-risk areas. CSX also coordinated arrival and departure windows to limit exposure when trains entered and exited facilities.
Those changes produced immediate results, contributing to the year-over-year reduction in cargo theft incidents, according to Sean Douris, CSX Chief of Police, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Protection.
CSX leaders said the Memphis initiative has become a blueprint for addressing similar issues elsewhere on the network.
“As we see incidents like this start to develop into trends, we’ll be able to apply this template going forward,” Douris said. “The goal is to address these problems early, before they reach a larger scale.”
Cargo theft has been an ongoing concern across the transportation industry, with impacts extending beyond financial losses to include employee safety and community well-being. CSX said its Memphis task force demonstrates how coordinated operational and policy-driven approaches can deliver measurable results.
–via Press Release
