Connecticut Southern Railroad

Connecticut Southern Railroad
A circular orange logo. The words "Connecticut" and "Southern" are arranged on the top and bottom of the circle, with the letters "C" and "S" on the left and right sides of the circle. The Charter Oak, a Connecticut state icon, is depicted in the center of the logo.
A freight train passing through a train station, lead by three diesel locomotives in various paint schemes.
A CSO freight train in Springfield in 2018
Overview
Parent companyGenesee & Wyoming
HeadquartersHartford, Connecticut
Reporting markCSO
LocaleConnecticut and Massachusetts
Dates of operation1996–present
PredecessorConrail
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length90 miles (140 km)
Other
WebsiteCSO Website

The Connecticut Southern Railroad (reporting mark CSO)[1] is a 90-mile (140 km) long short-line railroad operating in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The company was formed in 1996 as a spinoff of Conrail by shortline holding company RailTex and subsequently acquired in 2000 by RailAmerica. Since 2012, it has been a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming. CSO is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, site of its Hartford Yard. The company also operates East Hartford Yard.

Connecticut Southern connects with CSX Transportation at yards in West Springfield, Massachusetts and North Haven, Connecticut (Cedar Hill Yard). It also connects with the Providence and Worcester Railroad and Central New England Railroad in Hartford, and Pan Am Southern in Berlin. The company's main line is Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line, which CSO has trackage rights over; branches are also operated to Suffield, Windsor Locks, Manchester, and South Windsor. Much of the railroad's traffic comes from imports to Connecticut, such as lumber, steel, and carbon dioxide. The railroad also hauls exports of trash and recycling. As of 2022, CSO carries approximately 18,500 carloads annually.

  1. ^ "Search MARKs". Railinc (Input 'CSO' into the searchbar). Retrieved May 7, 2022.