Kansas City Southern Railway

The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (reporting mark KCS) is an American Class I railroad owned by Kansas City Southern. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. KCS hauls freight for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and minerals, military, automotive, chemical and petroleum, energy, industrial and consumer products and intermodal.

Kansas City Southern Railway
KCS system map (trackage rights in purple)
KCS 3999, an EMD SD70ACe
Overview
HeadquartersKansas City, Missouri
Reporting markKCS
LocaleMidwestern and Southeastern United States
Dates of operation1887 (1887)–present
PredecessorKansas City Suburban Belt Railroad
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length3,400 miles (5,500 km)
Other
Websitekcsouthern.com

KCS has the shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri, and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.[1] It, along with the Union Pacific railroad, is also one of only two Class I railroads based in the United States left that has not originated as the result of a merger between previously separate companies.

The company owns or contracts with intermodal facilities along its rail network in Kansas City, Mo/; Jackson, Miss.; West Monroe, La.; New Orleans; Wylie, Texas; Kendleton, Texas; and Laredo, Texas.[2]

KCS operates over a railroad system consisting of 3,400 route miles that extend south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS railroad, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), can haul freight into northeastern and central Mexico and to the Gulf of Mexico ports of Tampico, Altamira, and Veracruz, as well as to the Pacific Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, fulfilling the vision of KCS founder Arthur Edward Stilwell.[3]

Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, who serves as chairman of the KCS Board of Directors, is also president and chief executive officer of the railroad's parent company, Kansas City Southern.[4]

History
Arthur Stilwell, founder of KCS

Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Mo. Together with Edward L. Martin, Stilwell built the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway, which was incorporated in 1887 and began operation in 1890.

In 1897, Stilwell completed the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (KCP&G) with a route running north and south from Kansas City to Shreveport, Louisiana, terminating at Port Arthur, Texas. In 1900, KCP&G becomes The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS).[5]

In 1962, Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. (KCSI) was established when the company began to diversify its interests into other industries. At that time, KCS became a subsidiary of KCSI. In 2002, KCSI formally changed its name to Kansas City Southern (KCS), with KCS remaining a subsidiary.

From 1940 to 1969, the Kansas City Southern operated two primary passenger trains, the Flying Crow (Trains #15 & 16) between Kansas City and Port Arthur (discontinued on May 11, 1968) and the Southern Belle (Trains #1 & 2) between Kansas City and New Orleans (discontinued on November 2, 1969).[6] In 1995, a new Southern Belle was created as an executive train to entertain shippers and guests. It also pulls the Holiday Express train in December, making the rounds to several KCS cities and stations.[7]

Awards and recognition

In 2017, KCS, an American Chemistry Council (ACC) Responsible Care® partner, received an Exceptional Merit designation. The ACC honored KCS for implementing energy management technology, Trip Optimizer, which improves KCS’s energy efficiency. [8]

The E. H. Harriman Award was an award formerly bestowed on railroads for rail safety. KCS had been consistently recognized for its employee safety record (in group B: line-haul railroads with between four and 15 million employee hours per year) by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute with a Gold Award in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008, Bronze Award in 2003 and 2004 and a Silver Award in 2005[9][10]

In addition, KCS annually awards its “Safe Shipper” customers for originating more than 500 bulk hazmat shipments annually without incident with KCS’s Hazmat Shipper Safety Appreciation Award. [11]

Notes
  1. "Kansas City Southern 2017 Annual Report" (PDF).
  2. "Kansas City Southern Network Map".
  3. Bryk, William (April 21, 2001). "An Eccentric Railroad Promoter's Vision of Mexico". Straus Media. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  4. "Boards of Directors".
  5. Group, Karl Bernard & the Rhombus. "SAGA OF KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN LINES". www.kcshs.org. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  6. Kansas City Southern (July 2005). "Southern Belle". Kansas City Southern Lines. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  7. "'Holiday Express' sets stop, to aid needy". Daily Times Leader. September 10, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  8. "ACC Announces 2017 Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Award Winners". April 24, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  9. Association of American Railroads (reprinted by Norfolk Southern Railway) (May 16, 2006). "Railroads Set Another Employee Safety Record in 2005". Archived from the original on February 13, 2007. Retrieved May 24, 2006.
  10. Kansas City Southern (2008). "KCS Safety". Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
  11. ""For the Long Haul" 2017 KCS Sustainability Report" (PDF).

References
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