Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Minimum Rentals and Commitments under Operating Leases (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Operating Leases [Abstract]
2018	$ 68
2019	64
2020	50
2021	45
2022	41
Thereafter	128
Total	396
Sublease Income [Abstract]
2018	(3)
2019	(3)
2020	(3)
2021	(3)
2022	(3)
Thereafter	(6)
Total	(21)
Net Lease Commitments [Abstract]
2018	65
2019	61
2020	47
2021	42
2022	38
Thereafter	122
Total	$ 375

Net Lease Commitments [Abstract]

No definition available.

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Within one year of the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsDueCurrentYear
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Within the fifth year of the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Within the fourth year of the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Within the third year of the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Within the second year of the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

After the fifth year from the balance sheet date, the total operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total committed operating lease payment amount offset by the respective total future rental payment receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_NetLeaseCommitmentsTotal
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future minimum rental payments in aggregate as of the balance sheet date under operating leases.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84164653&loc=d3e41551-112718

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within one year of the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the fifth year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the fourth year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the third year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future rental payments receivable within the second year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future minimum lease payments receivable under operating leases for periods greater than five years following the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant