The great modern train robbery: Thieves steal $200 million a year

On a relatively ordinary November night in Memphis, three thieves crept onto CSX Corporation railcars parked just outside a depot. Using a black Kia Soul as a getaway vehicle, the robbers broke open container locks and made off with over $20,000 worth of merchandise. This included women's clothing for a Belk store, Lazer Blocks toys, and two cases of Fre non-alcoholic chardonnay.

They stored the remaining goods in nearby woods for later pickup. This incident is part of a worrying trend of increasing railroad thefts in the United States. In 2025 alone, criminals took more than $200 million worth of goods from 75,000 thefts on U.S. freight rail networks, according to an industry group that represents major carriers like CSX, BNSF Railway Co., and Union Pacific Corp.

The surge in train robberies is largely a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. As drug trafficking supply chains were disrupted, gangs turned to rail theft. The majority of these crimes take place at major rail hubs in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Memphis. The thieves often use advanced tools like hydraulic bolt cutters to target trains, which can be loaded with thousands of dollars worth of goods in a matter of minutes.

Major freight carriers are now investing heavily in advanced security measures, including drones, barbed-wire fencing, and AI-powered cameras, in an attempt to combat this growing problem.