CSX: Task Force Cuts Memphis Cargo Theft by More Than 80%

CSX says it has cut cargo theft in Memphis by more than 80% over the past year.

The news is undoubtedly great for shippers and also a reminder that it took a full-blown industry problem to prompt action.

The Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad said it formed a targeted task force in 2024 after cargo theft spiked in the Memphis corridor during the COVID-era surge in criminal activity, raising concerns about customer shipments, employee safety and nearby communities. The hotspot, according to CSX, was activity around its Leewood Yard, where trains were especially vulnerable when they sat idle for long stretches.

So CSX did what railroads usually do when something keeps going wrong: it tightened the perimeter and tried to keep the trains moving. The company said it upgraded security around Memphis facilities with more fencing, lighting and access controls, including about 14,000 feet of high-security fencing and another 5,000 feet east of Leewood Yard. It also added 30 surveillance cameras to support monitoring and investigations.

But the real fix, CSX said, was operational. The railroad introduced two direct trains from Leewood Yard to Fairburn, Georgia, to reduce dwell time in high-risk areas. It also coordinated arrival and departure windows to limit the time trains are exposed when entering and leaving facilities.

CSX says those steps produced the year-over-year drop in thefts and that the Memphis playbook is now being treated as a template for other parts of the network — essentially: spot the trend early, lock the place down, and stop giving thieves a stationary target.