CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) has launched a new online site selection tool to assist growing companies in their search for premium rail-served properties and communities competing for economic development projects.

The new tool is the latest enhancement of the highly successful CSX Select Site program, which has helped dozens of manufacturers find appropriate sites for projects expected to generate $14 billion in capital investments and create nearly 11,000 jobs.

“The interactive Select Site tool is much more than a searchable property database,” said Christina Bottomley, CSX vice president of Real Estate and Industrial Development. “It includes comprehensive data and analysis of demographics; workforce characteristics; local and regional business details; wages; consumer spending; and key infrastructure information. The tool provides current and future rail customers with a centralized point of information where they can quickly identify vetted CSX rail-accessible locations to grow and create jobs.”

In March, CSX introduced four new levels of Select Site qualification — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The four levels will help companies identify sites that best align with their needs. Currently, 11 Platinum Select Sites are listed in the online tool, and CSX will soon announce the first round of Gold, Silver, and Bronze certified sites for inclusion.

Built through the GIS Planning industry-leading software interface ZoomProspector, the Select Site online tool captures the listings in an easy-to-navigate format for use by site selectors, community leaders, real estate agents, and businesses making location decisions. It supports site comparisons, 360-degree aerial tours and an interactive CSX route map that pinpoints Select Site properties. The free tool is also mobile-friendly and requires no account sign-up to access information.

"We're delighted to see the innovative way CSX is making use of ZoomProspector software for its new online CSX Select Site tool to promote business relocation and expansion," explains Russell Riblett, vice president of Sales – the Americas at GIS Planning fDI Intelligence Portfolio division. "As the first railroad company to put this innovative online software to work in a competitive global marketplace, CSX ensures it is poised to meet the growing demand for new rail-served manufacturing facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The CSX Select Site program is a subset of CSX’s broader business development initiatives that launched in 2012 in partnership with Austin Consulting, a global leader in site development and identification. It was the first railroad-sponsored certification program to offer rigorous site due diligence and capture the essential factors needed to accommodate rail access. In addition to helping companies find the right location for new projects, the Select Site program provides a platform for state, regional and local economic development agencies and public officials to gain exposure for suitable development properties.