Progressive Railroading: On safety, service and ‘doing the right thing’
Shaw addressed growth, achievable in part by putting employees and customers first, at NS’ investor day in December 2022. “We have a vision of what a better way looks like going forward,” he told NARS attendees. The Ohio derailment required NS to put the people of East Palestine first… “I’ve got four kids. They’ve seen this thing, front and center,” Shaw said. “They’ve seen a lot of things said about me and NS. They want to see I’m doing the right thing. That NS is. I want to be a role model.” To me, Shaw’s been one. For his children. And for the industry.

Bloomberg: Norfolk Southern Decides to Take a Different Track
But Shaw, who was named CEO in December 2021, and officially took on the job in May 2022, has more in common philosophically with his critics than might have been apparent in the tense grilling by senators. He also believes railroads have been too narrow-minded in their pursuit of higher margins and was already reordering Norfolk Southern’s priorities around a broader set of stakeholders when the train derailed in East Palestine.

RT&S Magazine: Rail CEOs – Spend time on the railroad (slide to page 38)
…[Shaw] began spending time with employees in the field as soon as he became CEO on May 1, 2022… He has continued to visit places around the system even after East Palestine, which speaks to his commitment to the railroad’s culture and employees…Future CEOs should study the careers of people like Claytor, Shaw, and Hinrichs.

Trains: Norfolk Southern remains committed to new long-term strategy, despite setbacks
Service has suffered since the derailment, and subsequent wrecks have increased scrutiny of NS and the rest of the railroad industry. “Our commitment to that plan got tested really early on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, and got tested in a way that I never would have imagined,” Shaw says. “But our response to East Palestine was fully aligned with that better way forward of operating in the best interests of our customers, our employees, the communities we serve, and our shareholders.

AP: Norfolk Southern is 1^st railroad to give all workers sick time as others negotiate with unions
Norfolk Southern became the first major North American freight railroad with deals to provide paid sick time to all of its workers Monday… ….Jeremy Ferguson, president of the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union that represents the Norfolk Southern yardmasters and conductors nationwide, praised the progress that has been made. “This agreement will provide our hardworking yardmasters the time they need and deserve to take care of their personal wellbeing,” Ferguson said.

Railway Age: NS Hosts Inaugural Safety-Focused Town Hall
“Safety, union collaboration and “creating long-term value” were the three main topics of Norfolk Southern’s (NS) first company-wide town hall meeting. Held June 1 in Bellevue, Ohio, 20,000 railroaders from across the Class I’s 22-state network participated in-person and online. More than two dozen union representatives were also in attendance, and six labor leaders joined NS President and CEO Alan H. Shaw on stage.