Award recognizes the safe handling of hazardous materials

ATLANTA, September 27, 2024 – Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday that 47 of its customers have earned the 2023 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award for safely handling products regulated as hazardous materials. Individually, the 47 corporate chemical manufacturers and 12 plants safely transported or originated 100 percent of their shipments over Norfolk Southern's rail network without a single incident in 2023.

The Chemical Safety Award celebrates and promotes safe rail-shipping practices. For more than 27 years, Norfolk Southern has recognized chemical manufacturers and plants who safely handle products that are vital to US consumers and businesses, but also are regulated as hazardous materials.

"Transporting hazardous materials requires strong working relationships between Norfolk Southern and our customers, which is why they are at the center of everything we do,” said EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins. “Together, we are dedicated to safely transporting materials that are integral in powering our nation's economy. From materials that are necessary for the purposes of purifying our drinking water to those critical to the creation of everyday household items, Norfolk Southern takes great pride in acknowledging companies that align with our dedication to safe transportation, environmental protection, and the welfare of communities along our 22-state network.”

Freight rail is the safest way to move goods over land, with more than 99.99% of all hazardous materials moved by rail reaching its destination without incident. Typically, these products move in tank cars owned or leased by customers, who are responsible for maintaining the cars and ensuring that they are properly secured for transit. Norfolk Southern transports them as a common carrier under federal law and works closely with customers to enhance the environmental, health, safety, and security performance of chemical transport by rail.

"There is no finish line when it comes to improving safety,” said Norfolk Southern Chief Safety Officer John Fleps. “While rail remains the safest way to transport goods over land, we will continue working with our customers to improve the safety of operations and drive our train accident rate down towards our ultimate goal of zero.”

In the last year, Norfolk Southern has:

• Reduced its mainline accident rate by 36% in 2023, placing us among the best of the Class I railroads.
• Lowered employee reportable injury rate by 27% since 2020.
• Installed 202 out of a planned 266 hot bearing detector systems since announcing our Six-Point Safety Plan.
• Launched four digital train inspection portals featuring machine learning vision inspection technology, with a goal of having 20 systems operational by the end of 2026.
• Deployed 17 new acoustic bearing detectors, significantly expanding our safety technology network.
• Joined forces with leaders of 12 labor unions to express a joint commitment to safety; leading to initiatives like the Signal Safety Collaboration program, aimed at enhancing signal safety for employees and communities.
• Substantially addressed all of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) recommendations from its 2023 Safety Assessment in the areas of communications, training, trust, and going above and beyond regulatory minimums. 

The following Norfolk Southern customers earned the 2023 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Corporate Award:

We also congratulate the following customers for earning the 2023 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Plant Award: