Called a recovery charge, the railroad made the decision last month because of high fuel rates. The increase is based on the price of a barrel of oil, and the initial surcharge will be 2 percent.

"We have no recourse but to offset these spiraling, unanticipated fuel cost increases," John Snow, president and CEO of CSX Corp., said in a statement announcing the plan.

The surcharge level is based on the number of consecutive days the price of oil remains within a specific range. To keep its customers aware of the changes, the daily tracking of oil prices will be posted on CSX's Web site, www.csxt.com. Customers will also be notified directly when the price changes. WIRELESS TRACKING

In other news at CSX Transportation, the company announced that it will offer customers the ability to track rail cars using wireless Internet connections. A railroad official said the company is the first in the country to offer the access.

"Delivering data that's most convenient for the customer is the future of railroad customer service," CSXT Technology President Chuck Wodehouse said in a statement. "We are freeing our customers from their desks and enabling them to retrieve vital information at the time and place that provides the greatest efficiency -- from industrial rail yards to loading ramps."

The system works by using a cellular telephone equipped with a Wireless Application Protocol-enabled Web browser. The customer can enter a rail car's initial and number, and get a reading of the latest information on that car.

Customers can also use the tracking tool to track up to 20 cars at a time using a personal digital assistant, like a Palm Pilot