CSX Corp. Reports Q3 2026 Earnings: Revenue Up 12% to $4.02B, Diluted EPS Jumps 54% to $0.57

Executive Summary

On October 21, 2026, CSX Corp. filed a Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 2.02 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition), announcing its financial and operational results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026.

Key Financial Highlights

• Revenue: Reached a record $4.017 billion, up 12.0% year-over-year compared to $3.587 billion in Q3 2025. Growth was driven by higher fuel surcharge revenue, alongside pricing gains and volume expansion across merchandise, intermodal, and coal.
• Operating Income: Stood at $1.570 billion, representing a 44.4% increase over the reported $1.087 billion in Q3 2025 (or a 25% increase compared to adjusted Q3 2025 operating income of $1.251 billion, which excluded a $164 million non-cash goodwill impairment).
• Operating Margin: Expanded by 880 basis points to 39.1%.
• Net Earnings: Totaled $1.05 billion, or $0.57 per diluted share, up 54% from reported diluted EPS of $0.37 and up 30% from adjusted EPS of $0.44 in the prior-year period.
• Volume Growth: Total volume rose 5% year-over-year to 1.69 million units, spearheaded by a 7% expansion in intermodal volumes.

Filing Metadata & Context

• Filing Date: October 21, 2026
• Accession Number: 0000277948-26-000039
• Principal Executive Offices: Jacksonville, Florida
• Exhibits Furnished: Exhibit 99.1 (Press Release) and Exhibit 99.2 (CSX Quarterly Financial Report)