A Norfolk Southern grain train.

Norfolk Southern’s Operations and Marketing teams have been working to inject greater predictability and discipline into our operations to safely meet customer needs and create a runway for long-term growth.

After making strategic operational adjustments at local interchanges and yards across the network, Norfolk Southern’s cycle times began to improve year-over-year starting in July 2024. In fact, from July through October 2024, Norfolk Southern loaded 16,762 more grain carloads than in the same period in 2023, driven by these improvements in cycle times. Norfolk Southern also loaded 18,639 carloads of corn, beans, and wheat in the same timeframe – the most since November of 2016.

The joint efforts of the Bulk team in the Network Operations Center (NOC), Field Operations, Marketing, and Customer Logistics were instrumental in this achievement. This teamwork not only contributed to increased carloads but also built internal trust with improved processes and reinforced reliability with our customers.

The improvements have enabled our railroad to capture additional volume and handle spot opportunities created by market conditions. A spot opportunity arises from unexpected fluctuations in supply and demand, such as sudden market shifts, seasonal surges, disruptions like natural disasters, or temporary shortages. These conditions create a need for quick, flexible transportation or logistics solutions to meet immediate demand.

“Operations and Marketing are working lockstep to capitalize on spot train opportunities that can serve our customers while making Norfolk Southern successful,” said Norfolk Southern Director of Unit Train Operations Jon Wills. “We’re working closely across boundaries so we can make decisions more rapidly and continue to capitalize on opportunities to move vital commodities that Americans depend on.”

For example, when West Texas faced drought conditions, Norfolk Southern responded quickly to mitigate grain supply impacts across the U.S. By identifying potential market disruptions and collaborating across multiple teams, NS deployed solutions to bridge the supply gap and keep America’s grain moving.

“We recognized early that the West Texas drought could impact the grain supply chain. There was also higher demand for rail equipment due to backlogs and embargoes,” said Norfolk Southern Group Manager Mark Adams. “By mobilizing idle unit grain trains to assist, we were able to keep essential supplies moving toward the Texas Panhandle region, underscoring Norfolk Southern’s commitment to maintaining a resilient supply chain, even in tough conditions.”

Our teams utilized NS-owned equipment and partnered with Western rail carriers to send more than 50 unit trains into the region, allowing us to deliver adequate grain supply to markets affected by the drought.

Through these collaborative efforts, Norfolk Southern not only met grain demands in the West but also facilitated the movement of grain to the Gulf of Mexico for export, supporting both domestic and international needs. And, as the grain harvest season began, Norfolk Southern was well-prepared to lock in on our targets for October and see numbers we have not seen in several years. 

To learn more about how we keep America's agriculture, forestry, and consumer goods industries moving, please visit our website.