Delivering the Gold Standard: Railway Age CEO Perspectives on Safety

““Norfolk Southern is becoming a more productive and efficient railroad. There is still work to be done to achieve industry-competitive margins and our target of a sub-60% adjusted operating ratio in 3-4 years and we are taking all the right steps to deliver on our promise.” – President and CEO Alan Shaw

At Norfolk Southern, ensuring safe operations is a shared responsibility across our organization. There is not one single solution when it comes to safety. We rely on our combined efforts and essential partnerships to deliver on our commitment. 

With a comprehensive approach, we took a close look at our operations over the last year. We made significant adjustments to our network design and how we build trains, tightening makeup standards to better manage weight distribution and reduce the risk of incidents. We are expanding our wayside detection network—announcing that we will add approximately 250 hot bearing detectors, accelerating the deployment of acoustic bearing detectors, and are working closely with manufacturers to test and deploy new technology.

That technology included partnering with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to develop cutting-edge Digital Train Inspection Portals. The portals utilize machine visioning and marry advanced technology with human expertise. Comprised of a collection of cameras and stadium lighting, the portal captures thousands of ultra-high-resolution, 360-degree images of railcars passing through at track speed. Those cameras photograph what is difficult for the human eye to detect and the data is passed along to our AI team. Leveraging advanced algorithms, we analyze the images with a high degree of accuracy. Immediate and potential issues are flagged and transmitted to our Network Operations Center for our experts to address. Twenty will be deployed across our network. 

To further ensure the safety and resilience of our operations, we invested more than $1 billion in infrastructure improvement projects across our system in 2023. Notably, our Engineering team set a company record in consecutive years, laying more than 550 miles of new rail, directly facilitating the reduction of track-caused derailments. 

Norfolk Southern’s safety initiatives all align with our strategy unveiled in December 2022, and are guided by the Six-Point Safety Plan we released last March. Together, we have reduced our Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) main line accident rate year-over-year and to nearly half of what it was in 2022 and is among the best of the North American Class I rails. 

We have a balanced approach to safe service, continuous productivity improvement, and smart, sustainable growth. By investing in our infrastructure, technology, and our colleagues, we’re enhancing safety and charting a better way for our company and the rail industry.

We’re also engaging our workforce, labor leaders, regulators, and communities. Last year, we hired Atkins Nuclear Secured as an independent consultant to help take our safety performance to the next level. With extensive experience that includes the Nuclear Navy, they have helped us develop a roadmap to further our safety culture.

Beginning on my first day as CEO, I made it a priority to visit frequently with my craft colleagues. Our candid conversations build relationships and are critical to enhancing the safety culture of our company, and I am appreciative of the engagement of our railroaders. I’m also proud to have partnered closely with our labor unions, co-authoring a letter alongside 12 of the leaders of our largest unions, publicly reaffirming our shared commitment to safety. 

We have committed to leading from the front on safety. Norfolk Southern was the first Class I railroad to announce a partnership with the FRA in which we co-developed and launched a Confidential Close Call Reporting System pilot program. Through the program, railroaders may confidentially report safety concerns to be reviewed by a joint committee composed of Norfolk Southern and labor representatives. Together, they will identify and implement safety improvements with the FRA’s guidance.

Our commitment extends to those who help protect our communities. In 2023, Norfolk Southern trained more than 5,400 first responders through our Operation Awareness & Response (OAR) program. Our Safety Train traveled throughout our network providing hands-on training events in 15 cities. Since 2015, we have trained more than 45,000 first responders and anticipate an additional 4,000 in 2024.

With local officials in East Palestine, Ohio, we broke ground last September on a regional First Responder Training Center. It builds upon our OAR program and will provide ongoing, free training for first responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the greater region.

Rail remains the safest way to ship freight on land. We want it to be even safer. With our innovative strategy, the skill and dedication of our railroaders and essential partnerships throughout the industry, we’ve made significant progress. More work remains. At Norfolk Southern, everything starts with safety, and we are committed to being the gold standard.