Editor’s Note: The following story was posted on the BizNS area of the Norfolk Southern website. It is shared here in its entirety, with permission. We think it presents a useful example of what the rail industry is doing to protect the employees who keep the trains moving from the COVID-19 pandemic. — William C. Vantuono
Norfolk Southern has promoted Senior Vice President Government Relations and Chief Legal Officer Vanessa Allen Sutherland to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, effective April 1, 2020.
An inventor of the World Wide Web once said “Data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves.” Neither data analytics nor railroading are typically the most captivating topics at the gatherings I go to with friends and family, but to me, the juncture of the two is nothing short of fascinating. And using data analytics to help rail customers optimize the way they ship tons of materials—from processing facilities and ports to factories and back again—is critical to the efficient organization of our extended supply chains.
Norfolk Southern (NS) announced that it has achieved a breakthrough in track inspection technology that will enhance railroad safety and operating efficiencies.
Norfolk Southern Corp. (NS) announced leadership appointments in its transformation, transportation and law departments, effective immediately. In addition, Josh Raglin, formerly general manager facilities, has been appointed to the role of chief sustainability officer.
OmniTRAX, Inc., an affiliate of The Broe Group and its subsidiary Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad (STE) in Stockton, Calif., completed the preservation of a historic locomotive, STE 678, which is currently travelling to its new home at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Penn.
Norfolk Southern is closing its historic, 137-year-old Locomotive Shop in Roanoke, Va., transferring all locomotive work to its Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa. NS predecessor railroad Norfolk & Western began operating the locomotive shop, then Roanoke Machine Works, in 1883. The railroad is also closing its associated Roanoke Distribution Center, which supports the shop as well as other mechanical department facilities across its system.
In 2019, Norfolk Southern (NS) customers across 16 states invested $1.9 billion to develop 54 new and 23 expanded rail-served commercial projects. The industrial development is expected to create more than 1,160 customer jobs, and the investment will generate more than 62,300 carloads of new rail traffic annually for NS.
Norfolk Southern (NS) reported 4Q19 and full-year 2019 financial results, with a net income of $666 million and a diluted earnings per share of $2.55 for 4Q19 and $2.72 billion and $10.25, respectively, for the full year.
In West Virginia and Virginia, two Norfolk Southern owned and/or operated rail facilities—a state-financed intermodal terminal near Charleston, W.Va., and the railroad’s shop complex in Roanoke, Va.—have been impacted by closure and layoffs.
