Tool provides customers access to customized data to track sustainability progress, emissions savings by shipping via rail

This Earth Day and every day, Norfolk Southern is committed to helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals. Last year, Norfolk Southern launched a tailored Rail Emissions Report tool for customers. The Rail Emissions Report provides customers with comprehensive data on the positive environmental impact of shipping by rail, including total carbon dioxide emissions, fuel consumption, and train miles traveled.

Mode of transportation is one of the most powerful levers shippers have to reduce their carbon footprint, and rail is the most sustainable way to move freight over land. Each year, Norfolk Southern estimates its customers avoid 15 million metric tons of emissions shipping by rail.  

More than 25 percent of our customers have publicly announced goals for carbon reduction, and the Rail Emissions Report provides customers with visibility into the full lifecycle and carbon footprint of moving a shipment across Norfolk Southern's 22-state rail network. These insights are helping customers make informed decisions about transporting their goods and develop strategies to both reduce their emissions and meet decarbonization goals.

The Rail Emissions Report tool builds on our overall efforts to further sustainability. Norfolk Southern was the first in the industry to launch a carbon calculator in 2008, and in 2022, we launched our next-generation carbon calculator to make it even easier for customers to incorporate carbon into their freight decision-making framework.

Customers who are interested in accessing their Rail Emissions Report, can visit Norfolk Southern’s online customer portal, AccessNS. The following video provides additional instruction on how to use the Rail Emissions Report tool.

Are you looking to lower your supply chain emissions? Contact Norfolk Southern today to consider how we can provide you with a more sustainable, integrated set of logistics solutions.