MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- America's growing zombie population might be dead, but as long as they're shuffling among us, they at least should understand the importance of being safe wherever railroads, streets, and sidewalks intersect.

That's why "Brainy," Norfolk Southern's giant pink ambulating public safety ambassador, will join more than 1,000 zombies in the fifth annual Zombie Walk here Friday, May 27.  This year's parade is being held in support of the Mid-South Food Bank -- ironic on several levels, since zombies eat flesh and are particularly fond of human brain.  

"It's important to understand that train-car collisions and trespass injuries and deaths are preventable," said David Julian, NS vice president safety and environmental.  "By paying attention to our surroundings and to the warning signs and signals -- maintaining situational awareness -- we can keep ourselves and our families safe from harm."

"Everyone can benefit by thinking smart at highway-rail crossings and staying well away from railroad property and equipment," added Cynthia Ham, principal and chief public relations officer for archer>malmo, the Memphis marketing communications agency that administers Norfolk Southern's "Train Your Brain" public safety awareness campaign. "Let's just hope Brainy is fast on his feet, otherwise the dead will catch and eat him."

Photos and video of Brainy at Friday's walk will be available after the Memorial Day holiday on NS' various social media sites and at www.brainysworld.com.

Brainy's participation in the Zombie Walk was the brainchild of Bruce Downs, an engineer in NS' real estate department in Atlanta.  Downs has had a fixation on zombies ever since the network television show "The Walking Dead" started filming near NS' former office buildings in that city.

Norfolk Southern launched Brainy and the campaign to "Train Your Brain" in 2007 in Memphis and so far has taken the message to high-traffic corridors in North Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio.  NS' safety, law, operations, and corporate communications departments work with archer>malmo in implementing the program.

Norfolk Southern also is a longtime supporter of the national highway-rail grade crossing safety campaign, Operation Lifesaver.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation