Norfolk Southern Corporation’s (NYSE: NSC) Engineering team completed $1 billion in infrastructure improvement projects in 2023. Throughout company’s 22-state network comprehensive improvements were made to safety infrastructure, tracks, bridges, and public crossings. This annual investment supports Norfolk Southern’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and resilient service that customers can depend on.
“Our extensive infrastructure work is an important component of being a customer-centric, operations-driven railroad and represents an investment in the safety of our operations,” said Paul Duncan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “To safely deliver reliable and resilient service, our rails, bridges, and structures must be maintained to the highest standards, maximising their productive lifespan.”
In 2023, Norfolk Southern’s Engineering team delivered a robust schedule of infrastructure improvement projects, including:
Safety Infrastructure
108 hot box detectors installed
17 acoustic bearing detectors installed
218 CTC to ITCM towers added
2 Digital Train Inspection portals constructed
Tracks
619 track miles of rail work completed, an 8% increase over 2022
2.1 million replacement cross ties installed
1,745 miles of track surfaced
523 panel turnouts and 14 crossing diamonds installed
Bridges
40 bridges replaced
32,743 bridge ties installed
40,398 bridge, culvert, and tunnel inspections completed
Public Crossings
110 grade crossing warning systems added
“Norfolk Southern’s Engineering team is committed to excellence in everything we do,” said Ed Boyle, Vice President Engineering. “Working together as one team, our dedicated railroaders in Maintenance of Way & Structures, Program Maintenance, Communications and Signals, Design and Construction, and Bridges and Structures delivered on-time and on-budget results for our company, customers, and communities. We have our sights set on achieving even greater results in 2024, as we continue to prioritize safety and reliability.”
The Norfolk Southern network spans 19,500 route miles across 22 states, serving more than half of the U.S. population and much of the nation’s manufacturing base. Each year, the company undertakes an extensive planning and coordination effort to strategically deliver improvement projects where they are needed most. By strategically investing in the network’s critical infrastructure, Norfolk Southern enables trains to move safely with greater speed and reliability. Together, this ensures that customer’s freight is delivered safely and on time.
