NS Launches Customer-Focused Rail Emissions Report
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(Screen-Capture Courtesy of NS video, via YouTube)
Norfolk Southern (NS) has launched a tailored Rail Emissions Report tool to provide customers with “comprehensive data on the positive environmental impact of shipping by rail, including total carbon dioxide emissions, fuel consumption, and train miles traveled,” the Class I announced May 18.
According to NS, the Rail Emissions Report tool, which builds on the railroad’s “leadership in furthering sustainability,” is powered by primary fuel burn data directly from locomotives that can be corroborated up to every 15 minutes. Fuel burn, NS says, can be applied to each shipment based on the weight as it travels across the railroad’s network. Combining fuel burn with other estimates for yard and local service, empty repositioning, and idling, NS says it can “provide customers with visibility into the full lifecycle of moving a shipment across the company’s 22-state rail network.”
According to NS, which was the first in the industry to launch a carbon calculator in 2008, more than 25% of its customers have publicly announced goals for carbon reduction. Last year, NS also launched its next-generation carbon calculator to “make it even easier for customers to incorporate carbon into their freight decision-making framework.”
“Sustainability is a shared priority for NS and our customers,” said NS Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins. “One of the best ways to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint and make their supply chain more efficient is by helping them understand the environmental benefits of shipping by rail. The ability to access data and insights from tools like the Rail Emissions Report will enable Norfolk Southern and our customers to create a more sustainable future, together.”
“By equipping our customers with detailed emissions data, we’re not only helping them make informed supply chain decisions in order to reach their own sustainability goals, but we’re also demonstrating our commitment to transparency and sustainability,” said NS Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin. “Through our new Rail Emissions Report tool, Norfolk Southern can provide our customers with a comprehensive picture of their rail emissions and partner with them to address climate change.”
