NS: $1.5 billion-plus industrial development

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Norfolk Southern generated more than 60,000 carloads of new rail traffic in 2018 involving 72 new and 18 expanded industries across 17 states along the company’s rail lines, representing customer investments of more than $1.5 billion.

NS said this commercial development “is expected to create nearly 3,000 new customer jobs and contribute to the economic vitality in communities across the railroad’s service area.”

“This broad-based industrial growth in our service region reflected ongoing economic strength throughout 2018,” said Jason Reiner, Assistant Vice President Industrial Development. “We saw strong investment in manufacturing projects and good activity related to our chemicals and coal franchises. Our current project activity suggests 2019 will be similarly productive.”

Norfolk Southern works with state and local economic development agencies on projects involving site location and development of infrastructure to connect customers to its rail system. The railroad provides free and confidential facility location services, including industrial park planning, site layout, track design, and supply-chain analysis.

Among the largest development projects that generated new annual rail carloads on NS in 2018 were a new tissue mill in Circleville, Ohio; an advanced-technology saw mill in Talladega, Ala.; a new consumer goods manufacturing facility near Martinsburg, W.Va.; a manufacturing facility in Blythewood, S.C., that produces film products used in packaging; and new coal mines in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

NS noted that, during the past 10 years, its Industrial Development Department has participated in the location or expansion of 899 facilities that represents private investment of nearly $60 billion and creation of more than 40,000 direct new customer jobs in territory the railroad serves.

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