In a recent interview, John Orr, executive vice president and chief operating officer, shared his vision for Norfolk Southern’s Operations. That included the importance of working with labor unions, and how beginning his railroad experience as a conductor influences how he leads teams. Here’s what he had to say:

Deep roots as a railroader and union leader

I'm really proud of my roots as a conductor, a locomotive engineer, and a union leader. That's really shaped me to appreciate what it takes to run a railway. And it's given me a desire to earn the leadership rights of people every day. And at NS, I hope to continue to earn the right to lead every day.

Instilling excellence in Operations

My vision for NS Operations is one of continuous improvement to create more value for our customers, our shippers, and help them win in the marketplace by being the safest, most reliable, cost efficient, scheduled railway in North America.

Implementing scheduled railroading

Precision Scheduled Railroading, as I see it, is aligned to having the right amount of resources. The right amount of resiliency and flexibility to respond to opportunities and to be able to be responsible when growth might be slowed.

Starting everything with safety

Everything has to start with safety, protecting ourselves, protecting the people we work with, and the communities that we work in. The rest of Operations flows from that.

Partnering with labor to achieve operational success  

It's important to engage stakeholders. Having a partnership with labor and a commitment to doing the right thing with people. When people talk to me and share their concerns, I have an obligation to act. I believe in listening to what's happening in the field. I hope that my presence in the field and that of my team inspires people to speak up.

Continuously improving

As we learn together and as we grow together, and we participate in continuous improvement, then we can really unleash the value of this network, driving the performance of trade in North America through our railway. It is quite an honor and a privilege to join the Thoroughbred team.