John Orr, Norfolk Southern’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, spent part of his first week on the job meeting railroaders and reinforcing safety as our top priority.

In one of his first actions at NS, Orr instituted a 48-hour safety blitz throughout our 22-state network. During these activities, managers reengaged their teams by discussing the basics of safety, from wearing the proper personal protective equipment to track safety. These discussions will continue year-round to ensure that the fundamentals of safety remain top of mind.

Orr also made visits to our Chicago, Chattanooga, and Conway, Pennsylvania facilities during his second week with NS.

“Safety is central to our strategy at Norfolk Southern,” said Orr. “My leadership team and I are committed to reinforcing safety on a daily basis so that every member of our team goes home the same way they came to work.”

To underscore the importance of involving railroaders in safety, Operations leaders met with over 5,000 railroaders in a series of meetings to re-engage them in safety priorities and habits. These discussions will be ongoing throughout the network.