Norfolk Southern to hire 500 by year

In order to meet growing demand from freight customers and to replace workers retiring in coming years, Norfolk Southern plans to hire 500 employees in eight states by the end of 2011.

“Norfolk Southern has hired more than 3,500 employees so far this year and anticipates adding 2,600 employees in 2012,” the company said Thursday.

There are openings now for conductors, freight car repair personnels, machinists, signal maintainers, and track workers in the following locations:

Illinois: Chicago, Decatur; Indiana: Fort Wayne, Princeton; Maryland: Baltimore; New York: Buffalo; Ohio: Cincinnati; Pennsylvania: Altoona, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh; Tennessee: Chattanooga, Knoxville; Virginia: Manassas, Roanoke.

“These jobs offer excellent pay and benefits and the opportunity to build a long-term career at a company that has been vital to the U.S. economy for more than 180 years,” said Cindy Earhart, NS vice president of human resources.