CSX Corp, the No. 3 U.S. railroad, expects to see strong train cargo price growth into next year, offsetting anticipated declines in coal and crude oil freight volumes, the company's top executive said. "We see strong pricing (growth) for the remainder of the second half (of this year) and into 2016," Chief Executive Michael Ward told Reuters in a telephone interview. During the second quarter, the Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad saw overall pricing growth of 3.5 percent, or 3.9 percent excluding coal. The price increases, productivity gains and a lower fuel bill helped the company post a 5 percent growth in profit for the quarter despite a 6 percent drop in revenue. The company said Wednesday it expects earnings for the third quarter to be roughly even with the 51 cents per share it posted for the same quarter in 2014. Ward said that would come despite an expected 1 percent decline in overall freight in the third quarter, including 15 percent declines each in coal, crude oil and fracking sand freight volumes. The strong U.S. dollar will also continue to affect exports of coal and steel, he said. "The strong dollar is hurting anything that's being exported," Ward said. The company has also a full-year 2015 outlook of earnings growth in the mid- to high single digits. Ward said that growth should come from continued strong pricing growth, network improvements that reduce the need for more trains and overtime, plus a continued focus on costs. CSX has furloughed around 400 conductors and engineers amid the drop in freight volumes, and Ward said that number could hit 600 in the second half of 2015. He said that as older workers retire, furloughed workers will be able fill those vacant spots.