WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will return to East Palestine, Ohio, on June 25 for a public meeting on its final report on the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern derailment and toxic chemical release, the board announced today. During the meeting, set for 9:30 a.m. ET at East Palestine High School, the board […]
Railroad: Norfolk Southern
STB to proceed with Amtrak Gulf Coast hearing
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will proceed with its planned hearing on the status of Amtrak Gulf Coast service on Wednesday, Feb. 14, the board announced in a decision issued Tuesday. The parties to the agreement allowing service to begin — Amtrak, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and the Alabama State Port Authority — had […]
Norfolk Southern tallies $1 billion-worth of infrastructure projects in 2023
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern’s engineering team completed $1 billion in improvement projects last year, including installation of new wayside detectors as well as repairs and replacement of tracks, bridges, and grade crossings. “Our extensive infrastructure work is an important component of being a customer-centric, operations-driven railroad and represents an investment in the safety of our […]
Amtrak, railroads ask STB to cancel hearing on status of Gulf Coast agreement
WASHINGTON — The parties involved in the agreement to allow the launch of Amtrak Gulf Coast service have filed a joint update on that agreement requested by the Surface Transportation Board, asking that the board scrap a hearing planned for Feb. 14 “as the Parties have no further information to offer.” The STB last month […]
NTSB investigating Norfolk Southern employee fatality in Alabama (updated)
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Norfolk Southern employee fatality that occurred Wednesday in Decatur, Ala., the agency announced today. An NTSB spokesman said in an email that the incident occurred about 5:15 p.m. when a locomotive engineer was struck by freight cars. Additional information about the exact circumstances of the […]
Activist investor’s plans to oust Norfolk Southern’s CEO alarm Surface Transportation Board chairman
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman says he’s concerned about reports that an activist investor plans to launch a proxy fight to oust Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw. “Is this an investor whose goal it is to reinstate the bad old days when the marching orders to the C-suite were to cut, […]
Report: Activist investor group aims to oust Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw
An activist investor group has taken a $1 billion stake in Norfolk Southern and aims to wrest control of the company’s board and oust CEO Alan Shaw, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal this evening. The investor group, led by Cleveland-based Ancora Holdings, has nominated a slate of directors that includes former […]
STB extends reporting of railroad employment data for BNSF, CSX, NS, and UP
WASHINGTON – The Surface Transportation Board today issued a decision that extends the temporary reporting of employment data through the end of the year and that requires certain updated information from BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific. The board originally required the big four U.S. Class I railroads to submit employment information beginning […]
Norfolk Southern first Class I railroad to join FRA’s Confidential Close Call Reporting system
Norfolk Southern, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the SMART-TD union will participate in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Confidential Close Call Reporting system, or C3RS, the railroad and labor unions said in a joint statement today. “NS is proud to partner with our labor leaders and FRA to make another industry-leading advancement in […]
East Palestine derailment continues to weigh on NS earnings as costs top $1.1 billion
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern service and safety improved in the fourth quarter, but higher operating costs, lower revenue, and the impact of ongoing expenses related to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment dragged down earnings. “Last year was historically challenging, with a major derailment to start off the year, followed by network disruptions and compounded by […]
Norfolk Southern cutting 7% of management and staff positions
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern told employees today that it will eliminate 7% of its management and staff positions as a cost-cutting move. The railroad is set to publicly announce the cutbacks during its fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday morning. NS is offering voluntary severance packages to eligible employees, according to people familiar with the matter. […]
STB seeks answers for delay on Gulf Coast settlement: Analysis
WASHINGTON —The Surface Transportation Board has called for Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Port of Mobile, Ala., to provide “detailed information regarding the status of the implementation of the settlement agreement” agreed to in November 2022 to allow Amtrak service to begin between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. — and scheduled a February hearing […]