NORFOLK, Va., April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom W. Schnautz has been appointed assistant vice president research and advanced technology for Norfolk Southern. He has assumed some of the responsibilities of Gerhard Thelen, including positive train control and research. Thelen retired March 31 as vice president operations planning and support.

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Schnautz joined Norfolk Southern in 1993 as a management trainee in the Engineering department. He progressed through a variety of engineering positions and most recently was director advanced train control until his appointment to his present position. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University.

Thelen began his railroad career as manager quality control materials for Conrail in 1977. He held several positions of increasing responsibility in mechanical engineering, quality assurance, and engineering before joining Norfolk Southern in 1998 as assistant vice president research and tests. He became vice president mechanical in 2004 and vice president operations planning and support in 2006. A native of Weiler, Germany, Thelen is a graduate of Fachhochschule, Munich, and holds a master of engineering degree from Penn State University.

"Gerhard has been an invaluable intellectual asset to Norfolk Southern, and we will miss his leadership in addressing the technical challenges of 21^st century railroading," said Mark Manion, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Fortunately, Tom, who has been leading our effort to comply with Congress' positive train control mandate, has the knowledge, experience, and wisdom to take up that mantle."

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company 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, automotive, and industrial products.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation