Norfolk Southern Corporation is a major U.S. freight railroad company that provides rail transportation and related logistics services. As a Class I carrier, the company operates an extensive network across the eastern United States and offers scheduled freight service for a broad range of industries. Its core operations include long-haul and regional rail freight transportation, intermodal services that move containers and trailers between rail and other modes, and terminal and switching services that support efficient rail shipments for industrial and port customers.
The company transports a variety of commodities, serving sectors such as coal and energy, automotive and automotive parts, chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction materials, and consumer goods. Norfolk Southern’s service offering is oriented toward shippers and supply-chain partners, combining rail haulage with routing, scheduling and terminal operations to move bulk and unitized freight. Intermodal operations are a significant component of the business, linking inland markets with East Coast and Gulf ports and facilitating cross-border flows through interchange with other North American railways.
Norfolk Southern traces its lineage to several historic railroads that developed freight corridors across the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States, and it expanded through a series of mergers and network acquisitions in the late 20th century, including participation in the division of Conrail assets in 1999. Today the company’s network connects many major industrial regions, ports and metropolitan markets in the eastern U.S. and integrates with the broader North American rail system via interchange with other carriers. Norfolk Southern is governed by a corporate board and senior management team responsible for operations, safety, regulatory compliance and strategic planning.