Kansas City Southern Railway
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| Kansas City Southern Railway | |
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 KCS system map |
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| Reporting marks | KCS |
| Locale | Kansas City, MO to the Gulf of Mexico |
| Dates of operation | 1887 – present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, MO |
The Kansas City Southern Railway (AAR reporting marks KCS) is a United States-based Class I railroad operating over 3,130 track miles in 10 central and southeastern states. Founded in 1887, the railroad provides the shortest route from Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico. Its CEO is Michael R. Haverty.
The Kansas City Southern is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and has approximately 430 locomotives, 15,000 freight cars and 2,700 employees. Annual revenues as of 2002 were US$559.6 million.
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[edit] History
Arthur Edward Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Missouri. Over the ensuing decade the line grew through construction and acquisitions to become a through route between Kansas City and Port Arthur, Texas, with the final spike being driven north of Beaumont, Texas, on September 11, 1897. Another mainline between Dallas, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana, via Shreveport, Louisiana, was added through merger with the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway during the 1930s. From 1940 to 1969, Kansas City Southern operated the Southern Belle passenger train between Kansas City and New Orleans.
The core KCS system remained essentially the same until the 1990s, when the purchase of the MidSouth Rail Corporation extended KCS' reach eastward from Shreveport and into Mississippi and Alabama. This acquisition, combined with existing KCS routes, created a key east-west mainline marketed as the Meridian Speedway (named for the town of Meridian, Mississippi). An additional acquisition, the Gateway Western Railway, extended KCS' reach from Kansas City to St. Louis, Missouri and to Springfield, Illinois.
The 1990s also saw KCS extend its reach into Mexico, with the acquisition of partial interests in the Texas Mexican Railway and Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana. In 2005, KCS was successful in acquiring a controlling interest in both roads.
A parent company of the Kansas City Southern Railway was organized in 1962 as Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. In 2002 the name of the parent company was shortened to Kansas City Southern.
[edit] Subsidiary railroads
The Kansas City Southern owns a 50% stake in the Panama Canal Railway Company (PCRC). In April 2005, KCS completed its purchase of a controlling interest in the Mexican railroad Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) from Grupo TMM. In December 2005, Kansas City Southern Industries renamed TFM as Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM).
Although KCS itself is planned to be a holding company for the Kansas City Southern Railway, TexMex and TFM, the whole four-railway system is marketed to shippers as the NAFTA Railway, emphasizing the KCS's abilities in cross-border transportation. However, the railroads are all operated as subsidiary companies. KCS's long-term plans include support of the Kansas City SmartPort in which customs officials from Mexico would inspect cargo at the railroad's loading facility at the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base and speed them across the border to Mexican ports for transport to Asia.
[edit] Awards and recognition
KCS has been the recipient of the E.H. Harriman Award for safety in Group B (line-haul railroads with between 4 and 15 million employee hours per year). KCS received the Silver award for 1999, the Gold award for 2000, and the silver award again for 2005.[1]
[edit] Company officers
Presidents of Kansas City Southern:
- Edward L. Martin (1889-1897)
- Arthur Stilwell (1897-1900)
- Samuel W. "Colonel" Fordyce (1900)
- Stuart R. Knott (1900-1905)
- Job A. Edson (1905-1918)
- Leonor F. Loree (1918-1920)
- Job A. Edson (1920-1927)
- Charles E. Johnston (1928-1938)
- Harvey C. Couch (1939)
- C.P. "Pete" Couch (1939-1941)
- William N. Deramus, Jr. (1941-1961)
- William N. Deramus III (1961-1973)
- Thomas S. Carter (1973-1986)
- William N. Deramus IV (1986-1990)
- Landon H. Rowland (1990-1991)
- George W. Edwards (1991-1995)
- Michael R. Haverty (1995-present)
[edit] See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of Kansas railroads
- List of Mississippi railroads
- Southern Belle - passenger train service offered by KCS between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
[edit] External links
- Kansas City Southern
- Kansas City Southern Historical Society
- MEXLIST—The Group for Mexican Railway Information
[edit] References
- American Business Journals, Inc. (October 6, 2004). Mexican agency OKs KCS purchase of railroad stake. The Business Journal
- Heaster, Randolph (December 15, 2004). Kansas City Southern amends deal to acquire Mexican railroad. Kansas City Star.
- Trainboard members (2004), KCS Purchase of TFM. Retrieved December 16, 2004.
- ^ Association of American Railroads (reprinted by Norfolk Southern Railroad) (2006-05-16). Railroads Set Another Employee Safety Record in 2005. Retrieved on 2006-05-24.
| Current (operating) Class I railroads of North America |
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| United States: AMTK, BNSF, CSXT, GTW, KCS, NS, SOO, UP - Canada: CN, CP, VIA - Mexico: FXE, TFM, KCSM See also: List of USA/Canada/Mexico Class I Railroads, List of USA/Canadian Class II Railroads, Class III railroad, Class 2 Railraods in Canada, Short-line railroad, List of United States railroads, List of Canadian railroads, list of Mexican railroads |
