As railroads go, so goes the economy, and CSX's results show the U.S. economy may be improving, Chief Executive Michael Ward told CNBC Wednesday.
"We are a good barometer of the economy and we did see some uptick in September," he said.
For instance, his railroad is seeing some growth in shipments to the nation's retailers for the Christmas shopping season.
"It’s a normal fall peak where retailers are stocking the stores for the Christmas time," he said. "We do expect continued growth, not robust but modest, in the coming quarters."