ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern customers advanced projects representing $4.3 billion in industrial development along its lines or those of a shortline partner in 2024, the railroad said today (Jan. 22).
The investments involved 149 projects, including 65 representing $1.2 billion in investment and 1,700 jobs that were completed and began shipping on the railroad. Overall, they are part of 450 projects planned by customers for new or expanded facilities. In total, those projects are estimated to represent $9 billion in customer development over the next few years, generating more than 150,000 carloads for the railroad and more than 9,000 new jobs.
“The active pipeline of $9 billion in customer investments along our network reflects the value businesses place in rail as a cornerstone of their supply chains,” NS Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins said in a press release. “As we look ahead to 2025, we are intensifying efforts to enhance our portfolio of development-ready sites, laying the groundwork so customers who select Norfolk Southern’s rail-served properties will benefit from accelerated speed-to-market along with sustainable and reliable transportation solutions.”
NS also said 2024 saw three locations in its Prime Sites program for rail-served industrial locations — in Shelbyville, Ky.; Orangeburg, S.C., and Martinsville, Va. — receive the independent Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment (REDI) designation from the Site Selectors Guild, an association of professional site evaluators. That designation weighs factors such as infrastructure, development feasibility, and workforce availability.
“These designations underscore Norfolk Southern’s dedication to making site selection easier for companies that rely on rail to meet their supply chain needs,” said Craig Hudson, NS group vice president of industrial development “By investing in development-ready sites across our network, we are helping companies make informed decisions, positioning them in locations optimized for rail connectivity and logistical efficiency. This approach not only supports their growth but also strengthens the economic vitality of the communities we serve.”
NS real estate activity in 2024 included acquisition of 523.7 acres across 14 states for $45.6 million to address network fluidity and capacity, as well as promote development opportunities, and sale of 377 acres for projects such as warehouse and transload developments, along with carbon sequestration initiatives.
