Norfolk Southern reopens Heartland Corridor after repairing flood damage

ATLANTA – Trains are rolling again on Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor after flooding on the route in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and eastern Ohio due to a storm that began on Friday.

Both main line tracks were operational as of midday today, NS said in a customer advisory. Service between Portsmouth, Ohio, and Bluefield, W.Va., had been restored on Tuesday but was closed again after subsequent washouts near Williamson, W.Va.

The railroad has advised customers to expect residual delays over the next 72 to 96 hours due to the volume of backlogged traffic.

“Our thoughts remain with those who have been impacted by the severe weather event, especially the families mourning a loss of life and severe property damage. We are donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross for immediate and long-term recovery needs,” the railroad said in a statement today. “Additionally, we have two programs in place to assist Norfolk Southern railroaders who have been impacted. Our teams have been working safely and urgently to restore service on affected routes, ensuring access for the region and our customers. We appreciate their patience and coordination as we move forward with full recovery.”

NS is encouraging employees to donate to the Red Cross, with a two-to-one match, and will continue hosting blood drives throughout the year to support the Red Cross’s overall mission.

NS also said it will launch an Employee Hardship Fund in the coming weeks. The new initiative is designed to support railroaders and their families during natural disasters, medical emergencies, or other qualifying events—ensuring help is available when it’s needed most. The activation will retroactively cover employees impacted by this incident and others, like Hurricane Helene. The program will be in addition to existing programs that NS activates during a FEMA-declared natural disaster.