At Norfolk Southern, we play a leading role in delivering the special freight that helps spread holiday joy to millions of Americans this time of year. From the trees that brighten your homes to the presents beneath them, our railroaders are working hard to deliver the goods that make this season special.

Take a look at the cheerful cargo our railroaders deliver to help bring the magic of the season to life:

For your presents under the tree 

Our railroaders delivered 7,800 tons of games and toys this year – that’s 15.6 million pounds of holiday cheer! If you’re shopping for your loved ones, there’s a good chance Norfolk Southern played a part in getting your gift under the tree. We stocked the shelves of your favorite stores by moving an incredible volume of freight to the retailers you love:

• America’s favorite department stores: With a whopping 867,250 tons transported, we’ve ensured that your favorite retailers are stocked with everything from the latest trends in apparel and must-have electronics to essential household items and more.
• Pet stores: 16,00 tons of pet supplies, including over 800 tons of dog beds, were delivered to the stores that provide a haven for pet lovers, with a diverse selection of pet supplies, toys, and treats. We even transported over 1.96 million pounds of pet food. That’s enough to feed over 7,100 large dogs each year!
• Home improvement stores: 1.8 million tons were transported to various home improvement stores, ensuring they’re stocked with everything needed for DIY projects, renovations, and home decorating.
• Wholesale retail stores: With 179,000 tons transported, we’re helping stock the shelves of various wholesale giants that cater to an array of needs, providing bulk goods and diverse merchandise for savvy shoppers.
• Technology and office suppliers: 60,300 tons were transported to various stores that offer an abundance of office essentials, from stationery to technology, catering to both businesses and individuals seeking workplace necessities.

Now it’s time to wrap all those gifts! Our railroaders moved 60,000 tons of wrapping paper – that’s enough to blanket over 165,000 football fields.

For your holiday festivities

What’s a holiday season without a celebration? We transported everything you need to make your gatherings merry and bright!

• Christmas trees: We played a part in finding your perfect tree, moving over 56 tons of Christmas trees.
• Decorations: From lights and ornaments to candles and stockings, our railroaders transported over 250 tons of holiday decorations.
• Paper goods: We hauled over 67,000 tons of paper goods.
• Hot Chocolate: We transported enough cocoa beans to create over 1.2 million steaming cups of hot chocolate.
• Wine: Every 10 minutes, our railroaders move 9,608 bottles of wine.

For your holiday travel

If you’re traveling for the holidays this year, we might have played a part in getting you to your merry destination. From fuel for planes to supplies for roads, here’s how we’ve helped make your holiday travel possible:

• Automobiles: Last year alone, we transported over 3.4 million automobiles.
• Air travel: We hauled over 840,000 tons of aluminum — enough to make 10 commercial jets – and 80,000 tons of jet fuel.
• Rock salt: NS moved 1.19 million tons of rock salt – that's enough salt to treat 16 million lane miles of road!

For Santa and his reindeer

From Santa’s milk and cookies to treats for his reindeer, we keep Santa rolling on his big night too! Some call it magic; we call it horsepower.

• Milk: We moved enough milk to fill over 50 million cups for Santa.
• Cookies: Norfolk Southern transported enough sugar, flour, and salt to make over 800 million batches of snickerdoodle cookies. With that many ingredients, every household in America could make cookies for Santa 6 times over.
• Reindeer food: We hauled 25.5 million tons of grain and animal feed and almost 2.5 million carrot sticks this past year, keeping Santa’s reindeer energized for a lifetime of holiday flights.

As the year comes to a close, Norfolk Southern extends our heartfelt thanks to our team of dedicated railroaders. Their unwavering commitment brings the holiday spirit to life, ensuring the magic of the season reaches homes across our 22-state network. We are proud to play a vital role in spreading joy and making this season of celebration and giving possible.