Joseph R.

Hinrichs 500 Water Street

President & CEO Jacksonville, FL 32202

June 16, 2023

Via United States Postal Service & Email Attachment

The Honorable Sherrod Brown

United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Re: CSX Response – Bridge Inquiry

Dear Senator Brown:

Thank you for your letter dated May 22, 2023, regarding CSX bridge structures in Ohio. I
appreciate the opportunity to respond and provide you information on CSX infrastructure across
the state.

CSX owns, inspects, and maintains over 15,000 bridges and other structures on our private
network across 26 states, the District of Columbia, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and
Quebec. Of that total, approximately 10% are in Ohio. Bridges and structures across the CSX rail
network follow strict guidelines for inspection and maintenance, are overseen by the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA), and are among the safest parts of our networks. While we
understand concerns related to a bridge’s appearance, it is important to note aesthetics of a rail
bridge rarely have anything to do with its structural integrity.

As you are likely aware, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has repeatedly
awarded railroads the highest grade in their US infrastructure report card, citing sustained private
investment as the primary reason for the network’s good condition. In 2023, CSX will spend
$2.3 billion in capital expenditures, with $1.7 billion going to core infrastructure - our tracks,
bridges and signals.

In keeping with the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA), signed into law by President Bush in
2008, FRA regulations require all railroads have a comprehensive bridge safety program that
includes requirements related to inspection, evaluation, and structural work methods. FRA has
examined and approved the bridge safety management programs of all six major railroads,
including CSX.

We conduct a thorough examination of every bridge on our network at least once each calendar
year. Dedicated teams of bridge inspectors and bridge managers look for any signs of unexpected
wear, weakness or damage that might indicate fatigue or premature aging of the structure. They
rely on detailed inspection protocols and extensive knowledge of engineering standards to
identify characteristics that may require maintenance or repair.

CSX inspectors often use free climbing to conduct their inspections, allowing them to access
areas of bridges that otherwise might not be visible. Depending on the location of the bridge and
type of inspection, they also use trucks, ladders and lifts. As the technology has advanced, drones
have also been used with greater frequency to achieve federal requirements on bridge
inspections.

Inspectors enter their reports into an electronic database for review by a bridge manager. If an
inspector observes an area of concern, the bridge manager is required to conduct a follow-up
visit, or an “intermediate inspection.” This twostep process helps ensure that issues are evaluated
by more than one employee and that maintenance plans are developed and implemented quickly.

Inspections include a careful evaluation of all the key components of a bridge – the deck,
superstructure and substructure – noting any exceptional condition that suggests unusual wear or
deterioration. If an issue is identified that compromises the safety of our employees, local
residents, rail equipment or customers’ freight, inspectors are empowered to take immediate
action based on the conditions they see. That includes taking the bridge out of service until
further inspections or repairs are complete.

The chart below summarizes the standards set forth by both the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) and FRA for bridge inspections. You should note that CSX’s standards for inspections
on these structures are more stringent than required by federal law and regulation.

Furthermore, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, signed into law by
President Obama in 2015, established strict limitations on what information railroads could share
publicly, including bridge inspection reports. It did establish that railroads could share a public
version of a bridge inspection report that includes: the date of the last inspection, length of
bridge, location of bridge, type of bridge (superstructure), type of structure (substructure),
features crossed by the bridge, railroad contact information, and a general statement on the

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condition of the bridge. The FRA also established a protocol for public release of bridge
inspection reports in 2016, which is available via their website.

Concerns related to pedestrian access under a railroad bridge, illegal dumping activity, public use
lighting, drainage, graffiti and other items are generally the responsibility of state or local
governments, depending on the circumstances at each location. CSX works daily with state and
local officials across the network, including in Ohio, to support their efforts in addressing these
public facing issues.

In fact, in response to local officials’ feedback over time, CSX established a more simplified
process via our engineering team’s public projects group years ago to support aesthetic and other
project requests on CSX owned infrastructure across the network. In Ohio, multiple
communities, non-profit organizations and other entities have coordinated bridge beautification
projects on CSX structures to support local goals. Furthermore, CSX has worked with other
communities in Ohio on roadway projects under railroad bridges to improve traffic flow,
vehicular capacity, and pedestrian access. These types of projects are supported and facilitated
by our experts within the engineering team.

Your letter did ask about a specific bridge in Geneva, Ohio. CSX was contacted by a local
resident in 2021 about the structure. The bridge has been inspected multiple times since then,
with the last two inspections on October 4, 2022 and April 5, 2023 where it was found safe and
in compliance with state, federal and internal requirements.

Both the FRA and ODOT have been involved in the bridge inspection process on this structure,
and neither has shared any concerns about its condition with CSX. This bridge in Geneva has
been inspected and maintained in accordance with all applicable federal laws and regulations,
which has been confirmed by the FRA. My team is not aware of any additional contacts to CSX
on this structure from either federal, state or local officials, before your most recent inquiry.

CSX has a public hotline (1-800-232-0144) via our Public Safety Coordination Center to
communicate public safety concerns directly with the company.

Should you have further questions or require additional information on a specific bridge or
otherwise, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Hinrichs

Cc: The Honorable Amit Bose, Administrator – Federal Railroad Administration

Mr. Ian Jeffries, Association of American Railroads

JH/ro

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