Norfolk Southern

Welcome to Connect NS, our customer newsletter bringing you the latest news, updates, and stories from Norfolk Southern. In this month's edition, you'll find: 🚂 Strengthening Your Supply Chain with Rail Discover how we’re delivering faster, more reliable service to keep your supply chain moving efficiently. 📡 Maximizing Your Shipment Visibility Learn how RailPulse’s GPS and telemetry sensors provide real-time tracking, helping you minimize disruptions and keep operations running smoothly. 🤝 Improving Your Customer Experience Find out how our newly formed Customer Advisory Board is driving innovation to better serve your needs. 🔧 Boosting Efficiency at Railyards See how Norris Yard in Alabama is handling higher volumes and achieving record on-time origin departures. 🌍 Fueling Economic Growth with Rail Connectivity Explore how rail connectivity helped a family-owned business expand its market reach in rural Pennsylvania.

Proud to share insights from NS Industrial Products team member Jim Wilson, who recently authored a piece on rail's essential role in food, beverage, and cold chain transportation, that was published by Food Logistics just in time for #NationalFoodDay last week. At Norfolk Southern, we understand that feeding America—and the world—requires a dependable, sustainable approach to transportation. Rail is uniquely positioned to deliver. Each year, we move millions of carloads of grain, food, and farmed products across the country, ensuring that fresh and dry goods alike reach tables safely and on time. Rail’s flexibility is key: from partnering with logistics providers and specialized carriers that offer temperature-controlled cars for perishables, to hopper cars for agriculture commodities, to bulk tankers for liquids… rail services support every aspect of the food, beverage, and temperature-controlled supply chain. And as we advance our sustainability efforts, rail continues to be the most fuel-efficient, reliable way to keep essential products moving. By leveraging innovative technology and predictive analytics, we’re raising the bar to support our customers in delivering food and beverages where they’re needed, when they’re needed. Thanks to Jim and our entire Ag & Consumer Goods team for championing how #NorfolkSouthern drives the future of food, beverage, and cold chain logistics.

What's it like to be a Locomotive Engineer at NS? 🚂 Step into a day on the rails with Douglas Bonner, who’s been keeping America’s economy moving and delivering for our customers for over 34 years. Our railroaders, like Douglas, bring their best every day to keep our trains safely rolling and our network running efficiently. The Association of American Railroads just released their 2024 Rail Jobs Report: The Value and Opportunities in Railroading. Railroading is more than just a job—it’s a fulfilling career that drives America’s economy 24/7, 365. With competitive pay, great benefits, and long-term growth opportunities, rail employees have a median tenure of 13 years, surpassing the average of 3.9 years in the private sector, according to AAR. 🔗 Read the full report at www.AAR.org/Jobs-Report.

At Norfolk Southern, we’re committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve. Through our Thriving Communities Grant, the nonprofit Hope for Hall brought an all-inclusive playground to life at Sandra Deal Elementary School in Gainesville, Georgia. Pictured with Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, our Director NS Foundation & Community Impact Kristin Wong and AVP of Government Relations Conner Poe joined Hope for Hall at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for this new playground. This project holds special meaning as it honors the legacy of Georgia’s late First Lady, Sandra Deal, who dedicated her life to helping children and fostering a love of learning. We hope the playground’s inclusive design, featuring a custom NS train-themed structure, will bring joy to the children of Hall County for years to come. Together, we’re proud to create a space that will inspire and include all children, and we look forward to seeing the lasting impact this playground will have. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eAgQ-w4G.

Norfolk Southern is delivering all the spooky season essentials! 🚂 👻 Here’s a glimpse of what our dedicated railroaders safely move to keep your Halloween freight-fully fun: 🍬 CANDY We deliver enough candy to fill the bags of over 44 million trick-or-treaters every year—including favorites like M&Ms, Snickers, and Skittles. 🎃 PUMPKINS In the past year alone, we transported over 69 tons of fresh pumpkins—enough to decorate 4.6 million homes. Plus, we deliver all your pumpkin-carving essentials like Sharpies, spoons, knives, and candles. 🧙♀️ COSTUMES Whether you’re dressing up as a witch or a superhero, we move enough cotton to make over 18 million costumes each year! 🍏 CARAMEL APPLES We transport the ingredients to make over 4 million sticky-sweet caramel apples every year. Every day, every season, our railroaders are hard at work keeping America’s goods rolling. 🔗 Learn more about how we deliver Halloween at https://lnkd.in/eN8wEckK.

🚨 EXCITING NEWS: A New NS Heritage Unit is Coming Soon 🚨 That’s right— we're adding another locomotive to our Heritage fleet, and YOU get to help choose which predecessor railroad gets the honor! We’ve narrowed it down to four iconic railroads, but only one will get to roll out of Altoona. Which one gets your vote? Choose your pick in the comments below: 🚂 Tennessee, Alabama, & Georgia Railway 🚂 Atlantic & East Carolina Railroad 🚂 Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway 🚂 Delaware & Hudson Railway We can’t wait to see which railroad you’re rooting for. #TeamNS is voting too, and we’ll be combining the votes to select the winner. Stay tuned for the big reveal! ✨

We’re proud to partner with North Carolina Railroad Company and NCDOT on this transformative effort to enhance rail service and prepare for the growing demand in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions!   This project will significantly boost rail capacity and reliability across central and eastern North Carolina, supporting both NCDOT’s passengers and the businesses that rely on #NorfolkSouthern and our short line partners.   Together, we’re building a more efficient and reliable rail network for the future.

As Scout Motors Inc. revealed their new models today, I couldn't help but reflect on the deep-rooted connection Norfolk Southern has with this iconic brand. Our company has always been proud to support American manufacturing, and it’s fascinating to see how history has come full circle. Back in the 1920s, the International Harvester plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was served by the Ft. Wayne Union Railway, a joint venture between some of the most well-known railroads of the time—Pennsylvania, Nickel Plate, New York Central, and Wabash. Fast forward to today, Norfolk Southern owns that very line, continuing to serve the plant’s legacy of innovation. In the 1960s, our predecessor lines which now makeup modern-day Norfolk Southern, had the privilege of shipping the first Scouts across the country. I recently came across some photos from The Harvester World Magazine. One image stood out in particular: a caboose on the end of a Scout train with a sign that read, “Westward Ho! 600 IH Scouts for Phoenix, Los Angeles, Oakland. ‘All America’ is Sold on the Scout.” The pride and excitement were palpable then, just as they are now. I’m thrilled that Norfolk Southern will once again be part of Scout's journey—this time with the new electric off-road vehicles that will be built at Scout's plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. It’s an honor to play a role in the transportation of these groundbreaking EVs, continuing a legacy that started decades ago. Congratulations are also in order for our partners at the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Richland County Economic Development Office on this monumental economic development project for the region.   We can’t wait to serve as your supply chain partner once again, helping drive the next generation of adventure and sustainability! Check out the new models here -> https://lnkd.in/e2jsQFtx #TheWorldNeedsScouts #SupplyChain #ElectricVehicles #EV #ScoutsAlwaysComeBack

This week, Norfolk Southern secured a five-year tentative agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and ratified a labor agreement with the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO), finalizing both well ahead of the next round of negotiations. We’ve now reached tentative agreements with 10 of our 13 unions, covering approximately 67% of our craft workforce. This means our railroaders can expect meaningful improvements in pay, healthcare, and vacation benefits in the upcoming year. We’re grateful for the ongoing collaboration with our labor leaders and look forward to strengthening these partnerships as we continue serving our customers, communities, and team members. 🔗 Learn more about: ▪️ IBEW agreement at https://lnkd.in/em7a8_rA ▪️NCFO agreement at https://lnkd.in/eaA5PRDS

For the first time ever, blockchain technology is being used in a mass timber project— and it’s happening with longleaf pine from Norfolk Southern’s Brosnan Forest! 🚂 🌲 This cutting-edge innovation is part of Clemson University's new Forestry and Environmental Conservation building. The state-of-the-art facility will lead the way in wood-based construction research, helping to shape the next generation of leaders in forestry and environmental conservation. Through our collaboration with Clemson University, NS is advancing sustainability, fostering workforce development, and driving forestry innovation. We’re creating real-world solutions that will shape the future of construction and conservation, together. Learn more about how we're leading the way in sustainable construction at https://lnkd.in/e-SjEhJ9.