(CSX issued the following on July 13, 2009.)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corporation [NYSE: CSX] today announced second quarter earnings of $308 million, or 78 cents a share, versus $385 million, or 93 cents a share, last year. Excluding the impact of discontinued operations related to The Greenbrier resort, earnings per share from continuing operations declined 24 percent from 95 cents to 72 cents.
Second Quarter Highlights:
* Earnings per share at 78 cents; 72 cents from continuing operations
* Productivity and cost cutting efforts continue
* Operating income at $582 million and operating ratio at 73.4%
* Safety levels strong, contributing to favorable casualty reserve adjustment
Second quarter revenues of $2.2 billion were down 25 percent from the prior year, primarily due to a 21 percent decline in volume and lower fuel surcharge recovery. Volumes continued to decline across the board, although the rate of decline in the coal market accelerated in the second quarter.
“While the economy continues to significantly impact our business, there are some signs that we may be seeing the bottom in many markets,” said Michael Ward, president, chairman and CEO. “Even in this difficult business environment, we are still strengthening our operations, optimizing our resources and making the right investments to prepare our network for the future.”
CSX continued to improve its safety performance, contributing to a further reduction in its casualty reserves of $70 million compared to last year. Combined with the company’s cost management efforts and increased network efficiency, operating expenses declined 27%, allowing the company to produce operating income of $582 million and an operating ratio of 73.4 percent for the quarter.
“By improving safety, reducing costs and increasing productivity we lessened the impact of the struggling global economy on our business,” said Tony Ingram, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We remained aggressive in right-sizing our train network while still providing reliable service for our customers.”
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading transportation company providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company’s transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports.
This earnings announcement, as well as a package of detailed financial information, is contained in the CSX Quarterly Financial Report available on the company’s website at http://investors.csx.com in the Investors section and on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).