Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern's predecessor railroads date to the early 19th century.

The South Carolina Canal & Rail Road was the SOU's earliest predecessor line. Chartered in 1827, the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company became the first to offer regularly scheduled passenger train service with the inaugural run of the Best Friend of Charleston in 1830.[19] Another early predecessor, the Richmond & Danville Railroad (R&D), was formed in 1847 and expanded into a large system after the American Civil War under Algernon S. Buford. The R&D ultimately fell on hard times, and in 1894, it became a major portion of the new Southern Railway (SOU). Financier J. P. Morgan selected veteran railroader Samuel Spencer as president. Profitable and innovative, Southern became, in 1953, the first major U.S. railroad to completely switch to diesel-electric locomotives from steam.

The City Point Railroad, established in 1838, was a 9-mile (14 km) railroad in Virginia that started south of Richmond — specifically, City Point on the navigable portion of the James River, now part of the independent city of Hopewell — and ran to Petersburg. It was acquired by the South Side Railroad in 1854. After the Civil War, it became part of the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a trunk line across Virginia's southern tier formed by mergers in 1870 by William Mahone, who had built the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad in the 1850s. The AM&O was the oldest portion of the Norfolk & Western (N&W) when it was formed in 1881, under new owners with a keen interest and financial investments in the coal fields of Western Virginia and West Virginia, a product which came to define and enrich the railroad. In the second half of the 20th century, the N&W acquired the Virginian Railway (1959), the Wabash Railway, and the Nickel Plate Road, among others.[20]

In 1982, the Norfolk Southern Corporation was created as a holding company for the Southern Railway (SOU, formed in 1894) and Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W, formed in 1881). In 1990, Norfolk Southern Corporation transferred all the common stock of N&W to Southern, and Southern's name was changed to Norfolk Southern Railway Company. In 1998, Norfolk and Western was merged into Norfolk Southern Railway, forming one, united, railroad.[21] Headquarters for the new NS were established in Norfolk, Virginia.[11] The company suffered a slight embarrassment when the marble headpiece at the building's entrance was unveiled, which read "Norfork Southern Railway". A new headpiece replaced the erroneous one several weeks later.[22] NS aimed to compete in the eastern United States with CSX Transportation, formed after the Interstate Commerce Commission's 1980 approval of the merger of the Chessie System and the Seaboard System.

The system grew with the acquisition of over half of Conrail. The Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) was an 11,000-mile (18,000 km) system formed in 1976 from the Penn Central Railroad (1968–1976),[20] and five other ailing northeastern railroads that were conveyed into it, forming a government-financed corporation. Conrail was perhaps the most controversial conglomerate in corporate history. Penn Central itself was created by merging three venerable rivals — the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR, 1846), the New York Central Railroad (NYC, 1831), and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H, 1872) — as well as some smaller competitors. In 1980, Conrail became profitable after the Staggers Act largely deregulated the U.S. railroad industry. In 1996, CSX bid to buy Conrail; Norfolk Southern, fearing that CSX would come to dominate rail traffic in the eastern U.S., responded with a bid of its own. On June 23, 1997, NS and CSX filed a joint application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for authority to purchase, divide, and operate the assets of Conrail. On June 6, 1998, the STB approved the NS-CSX application, effective August 22, 1998. NS acquired 58% of Conrail assets, including about 7,200 miles (11,600 km) of track, most of which was part of the former Pennsylvania Railroad. CSX got the remaining 42%. NS began operating its trains on its portion of the former Conrail network on June 1, 1999, closing out the 1990s merger era.

In 2016, a proposed merger that had been months in the pipeline with Canadian Pacific was abandoned abruptly.[23] The proposed merger would have seen the joining of two companies worth over $20 billion each. In March 2023, a federal regulator approved a $31 billion merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.[24] The merger was the first major U.S. railroad merger in two decades and created a railroad that links Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.[25]

According to NS's 2022 Annual Report to Investors, at the end of 2022, NS had 19,300 employees, 3,190 locomotives, and 40,470 freight cars.[2] At the end of 2022, the transport of coal made up 14% of the total operating revenue of NS, general merchandise (automotive, chemicals, metals, construction materials, agriculture commodities, consumer products, paper, clay, forest products, and more) made up 57%, and intermodal made up 29% of the total.

On December 12, 2018, Norfolk Southern announced that it would be relocating its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia,[10] leaving its hometown of Norfolk, Virginia after 38 years. The new headquarters building opened on November 10, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia.[26]

In June 2023, Norfolk Southern became the first major North American freight railroad with deals to provide all its union workers sick time.[27]

Norfolk Southern has proposed to purchase the Cincinnati Southern Railway for $1.6 billion. In order for the sale to proceed, it needs approval from Cincinnati voters in the November 2023 election. If approved, the $1.6 billion will be put into a new investment account and earned interest will go back to Cincinnati to maintain infrastructure.[28][29]

In early spring of 2008, the state program manager for air quality planning in Georgia, Jimmy Johnston, had been talking to NS about voluntary upgrades to reduce the company's environmental impact. NS is upgrading 3,800 of its locomotives with new technology that is 73 percent more efficient than previous models. The new technology being put into the locomotives makes the ride more fuel efficient and reduces idle time.[30]

In 2009, the company introduced an experimental battery-electric switcher locomotive, NS 999. This prototype locomotive was developed by Norfolk Southern in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pennsylvania State University.[31]

In order to align itself with climate-change goals set by the Paris Agreement, NS aims to cut its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2034. NS has begun measures to lower emissions, such as modernizing more than 100 locomotives each year and equipping 93% of its active locomotive fleet, or 1550 locomotives, with energy-management technology.[32][33]

Since 2019, a labor dispute between Norfolk Southern Railway and railway workers has been underway. In September 2022, the workers and companies involved tentatively agreed to a deal, but it was rejected by a majority of the union's members.[34] In late 2022, the United States Congress intervened to prevent a strike by passing the tentative deal into law.[35] On December 6, 2022, Norfolk Southern announced a new service and growth plan that will ensure the company maintains its train crew levels during downturns.[36]

In May 2023, CEO Alan Shaw and 12 union leaders committed to enhanced rail safety for employees and communities served by Norfolk Southern in a joint safety letter issued to employees and union members.[37]

Norfolk Southern held several safety-related events in June 2023, including a companywide town hall meeting that focused on safety and the importance of labor-management collaboration[38] and an emergency training for Spartanburg County first responders to respond efficiently to railroad accidents.[39]

A derailment happened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, on the afternoon of August 5, 2018, when the train was heading from New Jersey to Chicago.

The 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio

On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether[43] derailed along Norfolk Southern Railways Fort Wayne Line in East Palestine, Ohio, United States.[44] Emergency crews conducted a controlled burn of the spill[45] which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.[44] On February 8, affected businesses and residents filed three class action lawsuits against the company.[46][47]

Norfolk Southern, along with other rail companies, had successfully lobbied for the repeal of rules requiring electronically controlled pneumatic brakes on trains carrying hazardous materials, which could have reduced the severity of the incident.[48] On February 16, 2023, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy tweeted that the ECP braking rule does not apply to this train and would not have prevented the derailment.[49][50][51]

Norfolk Southern Railway offered $1,000 payments to locals in order to "cover costs related to the evacuation". Some residents expressed concerns that taking these payouts would limit their ability to join future legal actions.[52]

In the aftermath of the disaster, the company was accused of prioritizing $10 billion in stock buybacks[53] for shareholders over maintenance.[54][55] MarketWatch reported that in the three weeks following the incident the company's stock has lost about $6.68 billion in market capitalization in a 11.6% drop in stock value.[56] Shares were down about 5% compared to the time of the derailment in late July 2023.[57]

On February 25, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Norfolk Southern to stop shipments of hazardous waste out of East Palestine, Ohio. This announcement followed days after the EPA took over cleanup efforts in the area. The EPA director, Debra Shore, emphasized that the stoppage of shipments was temporary and would resume "very soon".[58]

Norfolk Southern implemented a new six-point safety plan immediately following the incident.[59][60]

In August 2023, NS announced that they are investing $500,000 into East Palestine's economy. The money will be used to hire a professional economic development consultant, who will help put in place plans to grow the area's economy.[61]

NS has also added more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems like wheel-bearing temperatures following the Ohio derailment.[62] Six months after the accident, contractors have removed about 25 million gallons of wastewater and 80,000 tons of contaminated soil.[63] NS has spent $63 million to support the community, including about $18 million to reimburse families for housing, food and other expenses.[63]

The EPA has 15 air monitoring stations in East Palestine and has stated that there are no concerning levels of chemicals in the local air and drinking water in the area.[63]

On March 15, 2016, Norfolk Southern consolidated its three operation regions into two: northern and southern regions. The northern region includes Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Dearborn, Lake, and Illinois divisions. The southern region includes Piedmont, Alabama, Georgia, Central, and Pocahontas divisions.[67]

The two merged regions will support approximately 1,000 daily crew starts for long-haul train operations. The consolidation was part of Norfolk Southern's five-year strategic plan to enhance operating efficiencies while reducing costs.[68]

Two NS trains heading east along the Pittsburgh Line

The Premier Corridor is Norfolk Southern's principal east–west line from the East Coast to the Midwest.[69] An average day sees 100 trains of all types.[69] The corridor's main (New York to Chicago) segment consists of the Lehigh Line, Reading Line, Harrisburg Line, Pittsburgh Line, Fort Wayne Line, Cleveland Line, and Chicago Line.[69]

On May 15, 2008, NS announced that it would join with Pan Am Railways to create the "Patriot Corridor", an improved rail route between Albany, New York, and the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area.[70][71][72] On March 12, 2009, STB approved the deal.[73] Each of the two companies now owns 50% of a new company known as Pan Am Southern (PAS). PAR's trackage between Ayer, Massachusetts, and Mechanicville, New York, was transferred to PAS and continues to be operated and maintained by PAR's Springfield Terminal Railway Company subsidiary. NS transferred to PAS cash and property valued at $140 million. The railroad operates 22K and 23K from Mechanicville, NY to Ayer, MA. Due to the unique ACSES PTC system used on Keolis-operated trackage, which the 22K and 23K runs on between Wachusett and Ayer, only specific SD60E locomotives equipped with ACSES can lead trains.

In 2021, CSX announced its intention to purchase Pan Am Railways.[74] Norfolk Southern protested, arguing that CSX, which would own 50% of Pan Am Southern, would be able to block Norfolk Southern out of the northeast. As part of the Surface Transportation Board merger requirements, CSX will give NS limited trackage rights to run intermodal trains, and Pan Am Southern will be operated by the Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad, under the name Berkshire and Eastern Railroad.[75]

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Juniata Shops at Altoona Works

NS also shares interest with CSX in the Oak Island Yard, managed by Conrail Shared Assets Operations in Newark, New Jersey.

After the 1982 merger, NS President Robert Claytor retained the Southern Railway's steam excursion program begun in the 1960s by his brother, SOU president W. Graham Claytor. NS initially used former Chesapeake and Ohio 2716, which had been modified and decorated as a Southern locomotive for the steam program; however, the engine developed mechanical problems in her fire box after less than a year in excursion service and was replaced by Nickel Plate 765.[81]

Merging with the Norfolk & Western Railway prompted the steam program to acquire and overhaul Norfolk & Western 611 in 1982, and Norfolk & Western 1218 in 1987.[81] These two locomotives and 765 joined the steam program veterans – Southern Railway 4501, Savannah and Atlanta Railway 750, Nickel Plate 587, Louisville & Nashville 152, Atlanta and West Point 290, Tennessee Valley Railroad 610, and Frisco 1522 – for an extensive series of excursions throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.[81]

Norfolk Southern's management under David R. Goode was forced to end the program in late 1994, citing safety concerns, rising insurance costs, the expense of maintaining the steam locomotives and decreasing rail network availability due to a surge in freight traffic.[82] On December 3, 1994, the 611 became the last steam locomotive running on Norfolk Southern's trackage, running her last steam-powered excursion round-trip between Birmingham, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. After that, the 611 went on a three-day ferry move from Birmingham to Roanoke, Virginia.[83] She stopped at Atlanta, Georgia, for the night on December 5 and next to Salisbury, NC the next day on December 6.[83] Finally, the 611 departed Salisbury and continued her final trip.[83] When the locomotive arrived back in Roanoke, 611 had its fire put out for the last time.[83]

In June 2010, Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman announced that NS would run excursions with Southern Railway 4501, Southern Railway 630, and U.S. Army 610 with their new 21st Century Steam program.[84]

The program began in 2011 with excursions in the south powered by 630 and in the north by 765. On February 22, 2013, the Virginia Museum of Transportation (611's owner) formed a campaign called "Fire Up 611!" to conduct a feasibility study with the goal of returning the 611 to active service and have it join the program.[85] The locomotive was removed from her static display from the Virginia Museum of Transportation to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in 2014 to be overhauled. That same year, TVRM completed their restoration of Southern Railway 4501 – joining the 21st Century Steam program for the 2015 season and pulling excursions in Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia. The restoration of 611 was completed in May 2015 and celebrated with a run to Roanoke, Virginia, where it was originally built. The 611 pulled several excursions in Virginia and was featured in special events at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. In December 2015, Norfolk Southern had concluded their program; however, the 611 continued to run various excursions, hosted by the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the North Carolina Transportation Museum instead of Norfolk Southern across the NS system in Virginia and North Carolina.[86] Norfolk Southern currently limits the steam locomotives up to 40 mph (64 km/h) on their system.

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• Crescent Corridor - Louisiana to New Jersey
• Heartland Corridor - Midwest to Norfolk