Norfolk Southern’s 47th Street Intermodal Terminal in Chicago, Illinois.

Intermodal customers now have a reservation system, available through AccessNS, for scheduling their container deliveries. The initiative is an important step to better match Norfolk Southern’s intermodal train capacity to demand so we can offer more reliable service for our customers.

The reservation system was designed in collaboration with customers and is rolling out in phases to ease the transition. Starting September 4, intermodal customers logging into AccessNS can begin to get familiar with the new functionality and see how reservations fill upon unit ingate. Each new page will have a help button, including detailed information about each screen and function, and how-to guides to assist in navigating the new functionality. For more detailed information and updates, please contact the Norfolk Southern AccessNS Helpdesk.

“The reservation system is the steppingstone to better service for intermodal customers,” said Norfolk Southern Vice President Intermodal and Automotive Operations Yannik Thomas. “It will allow us to unlock the operational predictability we need to cost effectively build capacity and reliability for customers.”

Immediate benefits of the reservation system include fewer disruptive actions – like emergency metering which creates unexpected short-erm disruptions across the supply chain.