ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern joined innovative technology companies across the state of Georgia being honored last week at the Technology Association of Georgia Technology Awards ceremony.

Norfolk Southern’s Rail Wear Predictive Analytics won the 2023 Innovation-Driven Company category among Enterprise Public companies — an award dedicated to recognizing companies who make use of new or reimagined technology to stand apart and above in the industry.

Digital Train Inspection work by Norfolk Southern was also named as a finalist in the category.

“We are so honored to be recognized by our peers for innovation in our home state of Georgia,” said Mabby Amouie, AVP Enterprise Data & Analytics. “Our work in robust track maintenance is key to realizing our vision of safety above all else. Maintaining our tracks is a critical component of ensuring the safety of NS employees and the communities we serve.”

Norfolk Southern’s Rail Wear Predictive Analytics use artificial intelligence (AI) modeling to optimize rail replacement. With the innovative technology, NS can now identify the right rail at the right time, at the right location in need of replacement before any future issues arise — improving safety, reliability, and reducing costs.

Rail cars with sensors gather terabytes of data on tracks for every foot traveled, with AI models developed to consider variations from traffic, tonnage, weather, terrain, and more. Using the data, NS’s Data Science & Engineering teams created a robust artificial intelligence model to accurately predict rail wear 5-10 years in the future and reveal trends across NS’ 28,000-mile system.

The NS team began developing the trailblazing AI model in 2017 using data from the Engineering team and required algorithms from the Data Science team who worked in tandem to quickly produce iterative models of the technology which continues to be optimized and expanded today.

So far, the technology is providing substantial levels of productivity and visibility across every foot of rail in the NS network. It enables Norfolk Southern to replace the right rail at the right time using data-backed foresights. Rail Wear Predictive Analytics allow NS to be a more reliable freight provider to customers and a safer environment for employees. 

The Norfolk Southern Data Science & Engineering teams picked up the award for the 2023 Innovation-Driven Company at the Technology Association of Georgia Technology Awards ceremony.