ATLANTA, July 11,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation's
(NYSE: NSC) latest "Forging a Better Tomorrow" report details
the company's progress on advancing its first-ever Climate
Transition Plan (CTP), enhancing safety, and investing in its
communities. The annual report, covering 2023 through early 2024,
highlights Norfolk Southern's contributions that foster a
sustainable economic ecosystem with community benefits across its
22-state network and growth opportunities for its customers,
including 27 million highway miles eliminated daily.
"At Norfolk Southern, we are dedicated to leaving the planet
better than we found it, each customer and community well-served,
and each employee experience enriched," said Norfolk Southern
President and CEO Alan H. Shaw. "Our
investments in safety, our people, and sustainability are not only
fundamental to our values but are also aligned to our strategy of
driving innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth,
ensuring long-term value for all stakeholders."
Norfolk Southern is setting the standard for a cleaner rail
industry with its first-ever CTP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions intensity 42% by 2034. Key milestones to achieve
this goal include:
- Fuel Efficiency: improving locomotive fuel efficiency 13% by
2027
- Renewable Energy: increasing renewable energy usage to 30% by
2030
- Biofuels: reaching 20% consumption of low-carbon fuels by
2034
"As a leading provider of freight-rail service, Norfolk Southern
takes our role in reducing global supply chain emissions and
fostering a transition to a low-carbon economy very seriously,"
said Norfolk Southern Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin. "We've made tremendous achievements
towards sustainability in the past year as we've worked further
towards our goal of not only forging a better tomorrow but building
a better planet for future generations as well."
Norfolk Southern also implemented various safety enhancements
across its network, with the dedication and commitment of all
20,000 Norfolk Southern railroaders prioritizing safety every day.
In doing so, Norfolk Southern achieved the following:
- An approximate 38% reduction in mainline accident rate
year-over-year in 2023
- Installed 187 out of a planned 259 hot bearing detector systems
since announcing a Six-Point Safety Plan
- Deployed 17 new acoustic bearing detectors, significantly
expanding the Norfolk Southern safety technology network
- Brought Norfolk Southern's FRA Personal Injury Index down from
1.51 in 2020 to 1.09 in 2023, almost 14% lower than the 10-year
average
- Introduced the next evolution of safety culture for employees,
shifting from a compliance-oriented ("have to") mindset to a
commitment-driven ("want to") attitude
- Became the first Class I railroad to participate in the
Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), a program where
employees can confidentially report safety concerns
Norfolk Southern served communities within its 22-state network
through community investment, economic development, and
infrastructure enhancement:
- Customer Investments: $3.1B
- Jobs Created: 4,156
- Infrastructure Investments: $1B
- 60% U.S. Population Served
- 19,300 Route Miles of Rail Lines
Norfolk Southern has launched several key initiatives to ensure
safe, sustainable operations, support local workforce development,
and foster strong, thriving communities:
- Doubled its network-wide investments in corporate giving from
2022
- Created an industry-first Director Community Engagement
position
- Formed an official Public Private Partnerships team
- Launched Safety First and Thriving Communities grant
programs
Continuing to prioritize investments in its people, Norfolk
Southern:
- Enhanced conductor training through its Ballast Line Leadership
Program
- Established an industry-first formal council with labor
leaders
- Operationalized companywide inclusion with an official
Inclusion Leadership Council
- Became the first Class I railroad to provide every conductor
and engineer with predictable, scheduled time off
To access the full report and highlights document, please visit
here.
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern
Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely
moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today,
it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight
transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability,
Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million
tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated
team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from
agriculture to consumer goods, and Norfolk Southern originates more
automotive traffic than any other Class I Railroad. Norfolk
Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the
eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the country's population and
manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port
on the Atlantic coast as well as major ports in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by
visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation