Kansas City Southern Railway


The Kansas City Southern Railway Company 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 freights for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and minerals, military, automotive, chemical and petroleum, energy, industrial and consumer products, and intermodal.
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.
The company owns or contracts with intermodal facilities along its rail network in Kansas City, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; West Monroe, Louisiana; New Orleans; Wylie, Texas; Kendleton, Texas; and Laredo, Texas.
KCS operates over a railroad system consisting of approximately 3,400 route miles that extend south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS railroad, Kansas City Southern de México, 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.
Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, who serves as chairman of the KCS Board of Directors, is also President and CEO of the railroad's parent company, Kansas City Southern.

History

Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Missouri. 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 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.
In 1962, Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. 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, with KCS remaining a subsidiary.
From 1940 to 1969, the Kansas City Southern operated two primary passenger trains, the Flying Crow between Kansas City and Port Arthur and the Southern Belle between Kansas City and New Orleans. 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.

Awards and recognition

In 2017, KCS, an American Chemistry Council 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.
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 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
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.