Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Enacted Tax Rate, Amount Per Share

No definition available.

Name:	csx_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeinEnactedTaxRateAmountPerShare
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Related Party Transaction, Notes Payable, Number of Notes

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	csx_RelatedPartyTransactionNotesPayableNumberofNotes
Namespace Prefix:	csx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Difference between amount at which an investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting is carried (reported) on the balance sheet and amount of underlying equity in net assets the reporting Entity has in the investee.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

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

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109237563&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8813-108599

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations, attributable to increase (decrease) in the income tax rates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116821951&loc=d3e32059-109318

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest expense incurred on a debt or other obligation to related party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestExpenseRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment in equity method investee and investment in and advance to affiliate.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of shares that have been repurchased and retired during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21463-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis=csx_InvestmentsInJointVenturesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_CorporateJointVentureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=csx_ConrailMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	csx_VotingInterestAxis=csx_VotinginterestinrelatedpartywhichisalsoanequitymethodinvestmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	csx_EconomicInterestAxis=csx_EconomicinterestinrelatedpartywhichisalsoanequitymethodinvestmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=srt_AffiliatedEntityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=csx_TTXCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=csx_MRArgentAdvisorLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Related Parties and Affiliates - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 17, 2019 USD ($) shares	Dec. 22, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) shares	Dec. 26, 2014 note
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-cash credit to income tax expense		$ 3,500		$ 0	$ 0	$ 3,506
Effect of change in tax rate (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares		$ 3.81
Number of shares repurchased (in shares) \| shares				48.0	72.0	39.0
Amount of shares repurchased				$ 3,373	$ 4,671	$ 1,970
Investments in Conrail
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investments in affiliates					943
Corporate Joint Venture \| Conrail
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Difference between carrying amount and underlying equity				339
Promissory notes executed \| note							2
Interest expense				6	$ 6	$ 6
Corporate Joint Venture \| Investments in Conrail \| Conrail
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investments in affiliates				$ 982
Corporate Joint Venture \| Voting interest in related party which is also an equity method investment \| Conrail
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage				50.00%
Corporate Joint Venture \| Economic interest in related party which is also an equity method investment \| Conrail
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage				42.00%
Affiliated Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-cash credit to income tax expense			$ 142
Effect of change in tax rate (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares			$ 0.10
Affiliated Entity \| TTX
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage				20.00%
Equity method investments				$ 743
Affiliated Entity \| MR Argent Advisor LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of shares repurchased (in shares) \| shares	4.7
Amount of shares repurchased	$ 319