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89-689: The Norfolk Southern Railway ( reporting mark NS ) is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta , the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway . The company operates 19,420 route miles (31,250 km) in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia , and has rights in Canada over

178-604: A controlled burn of the spill which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air. In May 2023, Norfolk Southern announced compensation plans for homeowners whose homes lost value near the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio . The program applies to parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania near the derailment site and applies to those with homes on the market, future listings or sold since February 3, 2023. NS has also added more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems like wheel-bearing temperatures following

267-614: A labor dispute between Norfolk Southern Railway and railway workers has been underway. In September 2022, the workers and companies involved tentatively agreed to a deal, but it was rejected by a majority of the union's members. In late 2022, the United States Congress intervened to prevent a strike by passing the tentative deal into law. Norfolk Southern was the first railroad to offer paid sick leave to all employees. In May 2023, Norfolk Southern agreed to provide up to seven paid sick days per year to employees, meeting one of

356-695: A 2-digit code indicating the vehicle's register country . The registered keeper of a vehicle is now indicated by a separate Vehicle Keeper Marking (VKM), usually the name of the owning company or an abbreviation thereof, which must be registered with the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and which is unique throughout Europe and parts of Asia and Northern Africa. The VKM must be between two and five letters in length and can use any of

445-620: A burglary in Chicago. The officers were unharmed, and the suspects fled. The Norfolk Southern Police runs a program called Protect the Line that encourages citizens and employees to report suspicious activity. The Police Communications Center coordinates responses to potential threats or incidents across the railroad's 20,000 miles of track. On September 15, 2002, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Farragut, Tennessee . The derailment resulted in

534-448: A comprehensive six-point safety plan which included installing approximately 200 additional hot bearing detectors across its rail network. These detectors are essential in identifying potential issues before they become serious problems, thereby enhancing the overall safety of the rail operations. To address the safety of transporting hazardous materials, in May 2023, Norfolk Southern enlisted

623-486: A former U.S. Senator. In 2023, retired Navy Admiral Philip Davidson, and Francesca DeBiase, former executive at McDonald's Corporation, were appointed to the board. In early spring of 2008, the state program manager for air quality planning in Georgia, Jimmy Johnston, had been talking to NS about voluntary upgrades to reduce the company's environmental impact. NS is upgrading 3,800 of its locomotives with new technology that

712-464: A hyphen. Some examples: When a vehicle is sold it will not normally be transferred to another register. The Czech railways bought large numbers of coaches from ÖBB. The number remained the same but the VKM changed from A-ÖBB to A-ČD. The UIC introduced a uniform numbering system for their members based on a 12-digit number, largely known as UIC number . The third and fourth digit of the number indicated

801-464: A large amount of chlorine and diesel fuel being released into nearby waterways. In addition, a toxic cloud covered the city resulting in the town being evacuated. Local wildlife was killed, many of the local crops and vegetation were contaminated or killed, nine human deaths were reported, and thousands were injured. The company was taken to court and fined for violating the Clean Water Act and

890-499: A major portion of the new Southern Railway (SOU). Financier J. P. Morgan selected veteran railroader Samuel Spencer as president. Profitable and innovative, Southern became, in 1953, the first major U.S. railroad to completely switch to diesel-electric locomotives from steam. The City Point Railroad , established in 1838, was a 9-mile (14 km) railroad in Virginia that started south of Richmond —specifically, City Point on

979-949: A portion of the Great Dismal Swamp and an arrow-straight 52-mile (84 km) tangent between Suffolk and Petersburg . Mahone was named its head in 1860. The oldest predecessor was the City Point Railroad a 9 miles (14 km) long line to Petersburg completed in 1838. In 1854, it became part of the South Side Railroad . The South Side Railroad was the middle section of the AM&;O, stretching 132 miles from City Point (part of today's City of Hopewell ) to Lynchburg in 1854. The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad extended 204 miles (328 km) from Lynchburg to Bristol . It made important westward connections which reached New Orleans, Louisiana , before

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1068-700: A predecessor of the CNW, from which the UP inherited it. Similarly, during the breakup of Conrail , the long-retired marks of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) were temporarily brought back and applied to much of Conrail's fleet to signify which cars and locomotives were to go to CSX (all cars labeled NYC) and which to Norfolk Southern (all cars labeled PRR). Some of these cars still retain their temporary NYC marks. Because of its size, this list has been split into subpages based on

1157-607: A single entity, and expand westward. Mahone was finally successful, and in 1870, the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O) was organized as a new line comprising the three railroads he headed, extending 428 miles in Virginia from Norfolk to Bristol. The former general and his wife Otelia (a character in her own right) moved to Lynchburg, where the AM&O established headquarters and shops. The letters A, M and O were said to stand for "All Mine and Otelia's." Instead of utilizing northern financial interests, in addition to

1246-459: A system larger and far more wealthy than Mahone probably had ever dreamed. In the mid 20th century, N&W merged with long-time rival Virginian Railway in the Pocahontas coal region and grew even more in size and profitability by mergers with other rail carriers including Nickel Plate Road and Wabash in adjacent areas to form a system serving 14 states and a province of Canada between

1335-629: A vent and burn of the toxic chemical vinyl chloride monomer from the tank car . An NTSB investigator and the Federal Railroad Administration found that the vent and burn was unnecessary. The chemical burn released toxic contaminants into the air, soil, and water in East Palestine, according to the science director at the Science and Environmental Health Network, Todd Schettler. The NTSB concluded that this decision

1424-653: Is $ 3.07 billion. Norfolk Southern is one of the five biggest railroad operators in North America by its revenue. It operates in 22 states and in Washington, D.C. The company's market capitalization stood at nearly $ 58 billion in February 2024. Norfolk Southern's predecessor railroads date to the early 19th century. The South Carolina Canal & Rail Road was the SOU's earliest predecessor line. Chartered in 1827,

1513-500: Is 73 percent more efficient than previous models. The new technology being put into the locomotives makes the ride more fuel efficient and reduces idle time. In 2009, the company introduced an experimental battery-electric switcher locomotive, NS 999 . This prototype locomotive was developed by Norfolk Southern in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy , the Federal Railroad Administration and

1602-521: Is named after the old Pennsylvania Railroad , whose old main line was a line of the new company. In November, 2003, the Surface Transportation Board approved a plan allowing Norfolk Southern to fully absorb Pennsylvania Lines LLC, which was done on August 27, 2004. In 2016, a proposed merger that had been months in the pipeline with Canadian Pacific was abandoned abruptly. According to NS's 2022 Annual Report to Investors, at

1691-638: Is the namesake and leading subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, based in Atlanta , Georgia; it was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia , until 2021. Norfolk Southern Corporation was incorporated in Virginia on July 23, 1980, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol NSC . The primary business function of Norfolk Southern Corporation is the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods across

1780-588: The Albany to Montreal route of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City . Norfolk Southern Railway is the leading subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation. Norfolk Southern is responsible for maintaining 28,400 miles (45,700 km), with the remainder being operated under trackage rights from other parties responsible for maintenance work. Intermodal containers and trailers are the most common commodity type carried by NS, which have grown as

1869-675: The Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River and Great Lakes with more than 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of trackage. 100 years later after its name was changed from AM&O, the N&;W was combined with the Southern Railway , another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982. Today, much of the former Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad remains in service for Norfolk Southern,

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1958-697: The Interstate Commerce Commission for approval to merge and create CSX Corporation . In response, the Southern Railway (SOU, formed in 1894) and Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W, formed in 1881) quickly decided a merger of their own would be advantageous. The two companies announced their merger plans in April 1979; the CSX merger went ahead in 1980. In 1982, SOU and N&W concluded their own merger, creating Norfolk Southern Corporation. In 1990, Norfolk Southern Corporation transferred all

2047-494: The Paris Agreement , NS aims to cut its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2034. NS has begun measures to lower emissions, such as modernizing more than 100 locomotives each year and equipping 93% of its active locomotive fleet, or 1550 locomotives, with energy-management technology. The company has made efforts to improve environmental sustainability , according to Progressive Railroading magazine. In 2007,

2136-583: The Pennsylvania State University . Norfolk Southern reduced core greenhouse gasses by 13.5% between 2019 and 2021. For its efforts, the company achieved recognition from USA Today's America's Climate Leaders 2023 and Forbes' Net Zero Leaders 2023. In November 2022, Norfolk Southern contributed $ 750,000 to the Georgia Tech sustainability program for the next three years. In order to align itself with climate-change goals set by

2225-669: The TTX Company (formerly Trailer Train Company) is named for its original reporting mark of TTX. In another example, the reporting mark for state-funded Amtrak services in California is CDTX (whereas the usual Amtrak mark is AMTK) because the state transportation agency ( Caltrans ) owns the equipment used in these services. This may also apply to commuter rail, for example Metrolink in Southern California uses

2314-601: The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio . There are 464,000 potential class members, and only 1 percent opted out of the settlement, while 86 objected. Over 90 percent of East Palestine households have reportedly filed claims to access the settlement. Approximately 27 percent of the settlement fund, or around $ 162 million, will be set aside for attorneys' fees to be divided between over 35 law firms that participated in

2403-804: The 1850s. The AM&O was the oldest portion of the Norfolk & Western (N&W) when it was formed in 1881, under E. W. Clark & Co. , ownership with a keen interest and financial investments in the coal fields of Western Virginia and West Virginia. In the second half of the 20th century, the N&W acquired the Virginian Railway (1959), the Wabash Railway , and the Nickel Plate Road , among others. In January 1979, major eastern United States railroad holding companies Chessie System and Seaboard System Railroad applied to

2492-519: The 21st century global transportation markets. Most of the former AM&O lines are still part of the NS rail network. Three pre-civil war era railroad lines were combined to form the AM&O. They are listed from east to west: The Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad , organized by Dr. Francis Mallory of Norfolk was built between 1853 and 1858 by a young civil engineer named William Mahone (1826-1895). It featured an innovative and durable roadbed through

2581-513: The 26 letters of the Latin alphabet . Diacritical marks may also be used, but they are ignored in data processing (for example, Ö is treated as though it is O ). The VKM is preceded by the code for the country (according to the alphabetical coding system described in Appendix 4 to the 1949 convention and Article 45(4) of the 1968 convention on road traffic), where the vehicle is registered and

2670-568: The AAR, maintains the active reporting marks for the North American rail industry. Under current practice, the first letter must match the initial letter of the railroad name. As it also acts as a Standard Carrier Alpha Code , the reporting mark cannot conflict with codes in use by other nonrail carriers. Marks ending with the letter "X" are assigned to companies or individuals who own railcars, but are not operating railroads; for example,

2759-402: The AM&O fell on hard times in the financial Panic of 1873 which negatively impacted almost all of the railroads. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone had a falling out with his agent, who claimed a breach of integrity. There are some historical indications that this may have resulted from miscommunication, interference by Mahone's many enemies, or both. In any event,

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2848-717: The Crater in 1864 where he rallied troops and foiled an initial Union success during the Siege of Petersburg . After the end of hostilities, defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee advised his generals to go back to work rebuilding. William Mahone did just that. He returned to his old job and quickly set about repairing the N&P. Meanwhile, the managers of the South Side Railroad and Virginia and Tennessee Railroad also worked hard to restore service and rebuild bridges, stations, and rolling stock. The war had demonstrated

2937-801: The Federal Superfund law. NS spent a total of $ 26 million for the cleanup. Derailments incidents also occurred in Pennsylvania in 2018, and in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023. A derailment happened in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, United States, on the afternoon of August 5, 2018, when the train was heading from New Jersey to Chicago. On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying vinyl chloride , butyl acrylate , ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether derailed along Norfolk Southern Railways Fort Wayne Line in East Palestine, Ohio , United States. Emergency crews conducted

3026-510: The Ohio derailment. Six months after the accident, contractors removed about 25 million gallons of wastewater and 80,000 tons of contaminated soil. By July 2023, NS spent $ 63 million to support the community, including about $ 18 million to reimburse families for housing, food and other expenses. Within eight months of the accident, Norfolk Southern removed more than 167,000 tons of contaminated soil and more than 39 million gallons of tainted water from

3115-696: The South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company became the first to offer regularly scheduled passenger train service with the inaugural run of the Best Friend of Charleston in 1830. Another early predecessor, the Richmond & Danville Railroad (R&D), was formed in 1847 and expanded into a large system after the American Civil War under Algernon S. Buford . The R&D ultimately fell on hard times, and in 1894, it became

3204-536: The Southeast, East, and Midwest United States. The corporation further facilitates transport to the remainder of the United States through interchange with other rail carriers while also serving overseas transport needs by serving several Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. As of February 2024, Norfolk Southern Corporation's total public stock value is $ 57.869. As of January 2024, Norfolk Southern's operating revenue

3293-606: The V&;T near Salem, Virginia . Ultimately, the B&;O did reach as far as up the valley as Lexington, Virginia , only 50 miles (80 km) short of reaching Salem. When Mahone could not persuade the V&T board, he took another route to force consolidation, and worked diligently in lobbying the Virginia General Assembly , a part-owner of all three roads, to gain the legislation necessary to combine them into

3382-682: The VKM BLS. Example for an "Einheitswagen" delivered in 1957: In the United Kingdom, prior to nationalisation, wagons owned by the major railways were marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway concerned; for example, wagons of the Great Western Railway were marked "G W"; those of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway were marked "L M S", etc. The codes were agreed between

3471-510: The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was the key to western connections for the other two roads and he became a driving force in the linkage of N&P, South Side Railroad and the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad (V&T). He was president of all three by the end of 1867. However, the V&T board was opposed to consolidation which was favored by the other two roads. Rumors indicated that the B&O would expand its Valley line southward to meet

3560-541: The acquiring company discontinues the name or mark of the acquired company, the discontinued mark is referred to as a "fallen flag" railway. Occasionally, long-disused marks are suddenly revived by the companies which now own them. For example, in recent years, the Union Pacific Railroad has begun to use the mark CMO on newly built covered hoppers, gondolas and five-bay coal hoppers. CMO originally belonged to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ,

3649-434: The class action lawsuit includes compensation for residents and businesses in East Palestine and surrounding communities for personal injuries resulting from exposure to chemicals. Accepting payment from the rail company now would prevent homeowners from pursuing future litigations against Norfolk Southern. On September 25, 2024, the $ 600 million settlement was given final approval by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson , in

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3738-485: The coal business has declined throughout the 21st century; coal was formerly the largest traffic source. The railway offers the largest intermodal rail network in eastern North America. NS was also the pioneer of Roadrailer service. Norfolk Southern and its chief competitor, CSX Transportation , have a duopoly on the transcontinental freight rail lines in the Eastern United States . Norfolk Southern

3827-469: The common ownership, the link was established between Lynchburg and Salem on the old AM&O at the tiny community of Big Lick on the Roanoke River, which soon became the city of Roanoke and a major office and shops location of the N&W. It became known as the " Magic City ." While Mahone's vision for the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad was western trade and the transportation business,

3916-455: The common stock of N&W to Southern, and Southern's name was changed to Norfolk Southern Railway Company. In 1998, Norfolk and Western was merged into Norfolk Southern Railway, forming one, united, railroad. Headquarters for the new NS were established in Norfolk, Virginia . The company suffered a slight embarrassment when the marble headpiece at the building's entrance was unveiled, which read "Norfork Southern Railway". A new headpiece replaced

4005-508: The communities within Norfolk Southern's service areas. By September 2023, Norfolk Southern had begun constructing a state-of-the-art railroad safety training center in East Palestine. With a budget of $ 20 million, this facility is designed to train first responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas on how to handle various railroad emergencies. October 2023 saw Norfolk Southern implementing cutting-edge technology with

4094-431: The company established the rail industry's first chief sustainability officer and published its first sustainability report in 2008. In 2021, Norfolk Southern set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 42% by 2034 and has already achieved a 6% reduction. The company is also upgrading 1,000 locomotives to enhance fuel efficiency and incorporating biofuels and renewable energy into its operations. Since 2019,

4183-510: The company nominated a slate of new board members. In a letter to shareholders, NS asked them to vote for its slate of 13 nominees at its May shareholder meeting. The company defended its choice of board members, citing the board's work to improve long-term shareholder value, hold management accountable, and improve safety and operational performance. Among the 13 nominees, two of them are for new independent directors— Richard H. Anderson , former CEO of Amtrak and Delta Air Lines, and Heidi Heitkamp ,

4272-530: The company's attempt to manufacture evidence by hiring a private firm to conduct tests outside of the NTSB process. The NTSB issued a report in June 2024 on its investigation into the derailment. NTSB's investigators found that Norfolk Southern gave incomplete and misleading information to the local incident commander following the derailment and chemical spill. The incident commander, based on this information, conducted

4361-580: The company's board. The division of organized labor on the issue surfaced in April. Labor was divided on the issue, which led to a proxy battle ahead of an annual shareholder meeting. Unions criticized investors' plans to replace Shaw and implement an industry operating model known as Precision Scheduled Railroading , saying such a model is "unrealistic." In the end, shareholders voted to keep Shaw as CEO, but voted in three new directors. Norfolk Southern Railway maintains its own railroad police force , tasked with enforcing laws and investigating incidents involving

4450-491: The company's property. The Norfolk Southern Police Department, based in Atlanta, operates across 22 states with special agents responsible for protecting employees, the public, company property, and freight. The department's Police Communications Center, also in Atlanta, functions 24/7, coordinating field operations. Officers receive state-mandated training to maintain certification, alongside additional annual training provided by

4539-496: The company, which was ultimately carried out in 1987 instead of a sale to one operator. NS again expressed interest in a Conrail purchase in 1994, but this time Conrail publicly stated it had no interest in selling to another company. The company began to reconsider this stance after several expansion initiatives failed. After confidential discussions, Conrail and CSX made a surprise announcement in October 1996 that CSX would acquire

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4628-710: The company. Norfolk Southern was unwilling to let a CSX purchase go through, beginning a bidding war between the two competitors that was only resolved in January 1997 when an agreement was reached to split Conrail. NS and CSX applied to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for authority to purchase, divide, and operate the assets of Conrail in June 1997. On June 8, 1998, the STB approved the NS-CSX application, effective August 22, 1998. NS acquired 58% of Conrail assets, including about 7,200 miles (11,600 km) of track, most of which

4717-551: The department. Critics have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as these officers are employed by the railroad and may prioritize protecting corporate interests over public safety. In 2023, an accident involving a Norfolk Southern train in Georgia severely injured Charlotte Cleary, a 14-year-old girl. This case became central to growing calls for reform and increased independent oversight of railroad policing practices. In November 2024, shots were fired at Norfolk Southern Railway police officers during an investigation of

4806-463: The derailment. According to the NTSB, Norfolk Southern obstructed the government's investigation into the derailment by withholding important safety information from first responders and local authorities. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy accused the company of threatening the board and obstructing the investigation by delaying or failing to provide critical information. Homendy described Norfolk Southern's behavior as “unconscionable” and “reprehensible,” citing

4895-678: The end of 2022, NS had 19,300 employees, 3,190 locomotives, and 40,470 freight cars. At the end of 2022, the transport of coal made up 14% of the total operating revenue of NS, general merchandise (automotive, chemicals, metals, construction materials, agriculture commodities, consumer products, paper, clay, forest products, and more) made up 57%, and intermodal made up 29% of the total. On December 12, 2018, Norfolk Southern announced that it would be leaving its hometown of Norfolk, Virginia after 38 years and relocating its headquarters to Atlanta , Georgia. The new Atlanta headquarters building opened on November 10, 2021. In June 2023, Norfolk Southern became

4984-538: The erroneous one several weeks later. The system grew with the acquisition of over half of Conrail . The Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) was an 11,000-mile (18,000 km) system formed in 1976 from the Penn Central Railroad (1968–1976), and five other ailing northeastern railroads that were conveyed into it, forming a government-financed corporation. Conrail was perhaps the most controversial conglomerate in corporate history. Penn Central itself

5073-448: The first letter of the reporting mark: A railway vehicle must be registered in the relevant state's National Vehicle Register (NVR), as part of which process it will be assigned a 12-digit European Vehicle Number (EVN). The EVN schema is essentially the same as that used by the earlier UIC numbering systems for tractive vehicles and wagons , except that it replaces the 2-digit vehicle owner's code (see § Europe 1964 to 2005 ) with

5162-610: The first major North American freight railroad with deals to provide all its union workers sick time. In July 2023, Norfolk Southern announced plans to purchase the Cincinnati Southern Railway for $ 1.6 billion. Cincinnati voters approved the sale in the November 2023 election. Norfolk Southern will pay the city $ 1.6 billion and Cincinnati will establish a trust fund with the money, with earned interest going back to Cincinnati to maintain infrastructure. In 2024,

5251-521: The foreign bondholders requested other receivers be appointed, and one of his lieutenants, Henry Fink, was named. In early 1881, the AM&O was sold at public auction . Mahone forces had gathered what he thought would be sufficient funds to place a winning bid, but they were outbid by a surprise entry of a principal of a Philadelphia-based financial company, a previously unidentified competitor. The new owners renamed it Norfolk and Western , possibly utilizing an earlier name proposed by citizens of Norfolk in

5340-442: The help of Atkins Nuclear Secured (ANS). The team, led by a former chief of the U.S. Navy's Nuclear Propulsion program and comprising several ex-Navy admirals, was tasked with evaluating and improving the railroad's safety protocols. That same month, CEO Alan Shaw, along with 12 union leaders, took a united stand on safety by issuing a joint letter. This letter emphasized their commitment to improving rail safety for both employees and

5429-404: The historic train depot, enhancing City Lake, improving the municipal water treatment plant, renovating East Palestine City Park, and establishing a First Responder Training Center. Residents in East Palestine affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment have the option to join a class action lawsuit to potentially receive a portion of a $ 600 million settlement. The agreement-in-principle of

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5518-531: The introduction of Digital Train Inspection Portals. The first of these portals, located between Leetonia and Columbiana, features 42 powerful lights and 38 high-definition cameras to capture detailed images of passing trains. These images are then analyzed by computers to detect any defects that might lead to derailments, marking a significant advancement in rail safety in the United States. Norfolk Southern's safety achievements in 2023 were notable. It

5607-563: The lawsuit. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company in May 2024 to address the derailment. The settlement includes over $ 310 million for cleanup efforts, penalties, and future costs associated with the environmental impact. However, Norfolk Southern officials estimate that the company will end up paying over $ 1 billion to address contamination in East Palestine. The National Transportation Safety Board found that Norfolk Southern mishandled its response to

5696-417: The navigable portion of the James River , now part of the independent city of Hopewell —and ran to Petersburg . It was acquired by the South Side Railroad in 1854. After the Civil War, it became part of the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a trunk line across Virginia's southern tier formed by mergers in 1870 by William Mahone , who had built the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad in

5785-413: The need to consolidate resources and connections, and the stockholders of the South Side Railroad elected Mahone as president of their road also before the end of 1865. It was known that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and other northern interests were trying to develop connections in the Shenandoah Valley which would favor Baltimore over Norfolk and other Virginia ports. Mahone could see that

5874-404: The new owners were focused on their investments in the rich, largely untapped coal reserves of southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia. They knew older anthracite coal fields in northwestern New Jersey , southern New York , and northern Pennsylvania were playing out. Under their auspices, the former AM&O was greatly expanded as the N&W into the coal fields and beyond and became

5963-444: The owner of a reporting mark is taken over by another company, the old mark becomes the property of the new company. For example, when the Union Pacific Railroad (mark UP) acquired the Chicago and North Western Railway (mark CNW) in 1995, it retained the CNW mark rather than immediately repaint all acquired equipment. Some companies own several marks that are used to identify different classes of cars, such as boxcars or gondolas. If

6052-405: The owner, or more precisely the keeper of the vehicle. Thus each UIC member got a two-digit owner code . With the introduction of national vehicle registers this code became a country code. Some vehicles had to be renumbered as a consequence. The Swiss company BLS Lötschbergbahn had the owner code 63. When their vehicles were registered, they got numbers with the country code 85 for Switzerland and

6141-435: The pre-war efforts to secure rail service. Mahone was able to arrange for a portion of the State's proceeds of the AM&O sale to help found a school to prepare teachers to help educate black children and former slaves . The Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute near Petersburg was forerunner of Virginia State College, which expanded to become Virginia State University . A leader of the Readjuster Party , after leaving

6230-406: The railroad business, he became even more active in Virginia's politics and served as a Senator in the U.S. Congress from 1881 to 1887. The new owners were E. W. Clark & Co. , a private banking firm in Philadelphia which already owned a controlling interest in the Shenandoah Valley Railroad . The latter was expanding south from Hagerstown, Maryland , and seeking a potential connection. Under

6319-406: The railroad it is traveling over, which shares the information with other railroads and customers. In multinational registries, a code indicating the home country may also be included. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) assigns marks to all carriers, under authority granted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board , Transport Canada , and Mexican Government. Railinc , a subsidiary of

6408-592: The railways and registered with the Ministry of Railways , Government of India . Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O) was formed in 1870 in Virginia from three east–west railroads which traversed across the southern portion of the state. Organized and led by former Confederate general William Mahone (1826-1895), the 428-mile (689 km) line linked Norfolk with Bristol, Virginia by way of Suffolk , Petersburg , Lynchburg , and Salem . The AM&O

6497-762: The railways and registered with the Railway Clearing House . In India, wagons owned by the Indian Railways are marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway divisions concerned along with the Hindi abbreviation; for example, trains of the Western Railway zone are marked "WR" and "प रे"; those of the Central Railway zone are marked "CR" and "मध्य", etc. The codes are agreed between

6586-503: The release of oleum or fuming sulfuric acid . Roughly 2,600 residents were evacuated from nearby homes for three days until hazardous materials crews were able to mitigate the scene. No fatalities or major injuries were reported as a result of the derailment, but property damage and losses were calculated at $ 1.02 million. Seventeen people were injured. On January 6, 2005, a derailment in Graniteville, South Carolina , resulted in

6675-820: The reporting mark SCAX because the equipment is owned by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority —which owns the Metrolink system—even though it is operated by Amtrak. This is why the reporting mark for CSX Transportation , which is an operating railroad, is CSXT instead of CSX. Private (non-common carrier) freight car owners in Mexico were issued, up until around 1990, reporting marks ending in two X's, possibly to signify that their cars followed different regulations (such as bans on friction bearing trucks) than their American counterparts and so their viability for interchange service

6764-522: The shipyard with no loss of life. He accepted a commission in the Confederate Army and during the remainder of 1861 and until May 1862, also continued as head of the N&P. Mahone was relieved of N&P duties in 1862 as he took on increasing responsibilities with the Confederate Army. He was active in many campaigns and was an able leader during the war, best known as the hero of the Battle of

6853-406: The site. Norfolk Southern is continuing to collect 2,500 soil samples from the site to ensure all the contamination is gone. As of June 2024, Norfolk Southern contributed over $ 107 million in aid to East Palestine, including nearly $ 21 million paid out directly to residents whose lives were affected by the derailment. Norfolk Southern worked on several projects in East Palestine, including renovating

6942-426: The state's investment, Mahone obtained the needed funded through bonded indebtedness from across the ocean through a British financial agent. The AM&O did well for several years. The three former railroads initially each became divisions, and the former South Side Railroad was later consolidated with the former N&P into a single division. Unfortunately for Mahone's dreams, before much expansion could take place,

7031-681: The war began in 1861. All three railroads were severely damaged during the American Civil War (1861-1865). After Virginia seceded in April 1861, William Mahone, as its president, used the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad (N&P) to deliver a small force to Norfolk to secure the Gosport Navy Yard , an important resource for the Confederacy. After Union leaders declined a request to surrender possession, he used an N&P train and other deception to bluff them into thinking large numbers of rebel troops were arriving, causing them to abandon

7120-462: The workforce demands that nearly led to a nation-wide rail strike in December 2022. On December 6, 2022, Norfolk Southern announced a new service and growth plan that will ensure the company maintains its train crew levels during downturns. In 2024, an investor group led an effort to bring in a new leadership team at NS. The proposal would have removed Alan Shaw as CEO and replaced seven directors on

7209-576: Was based on misinterpreted evidence, contributing to unnecessary environmental harm. Norfolk Southern has made efforts to improve safety, launching several initiatives and programs to protect both their employees and local communities. In 2015, Norfolk Southern introduced the Operation Awareness & Response program, which trains around 5,000 first responders annually, equipping them with the knowledge to handle rail-related emergencies effectively. In early 2023, Norfolk Southern rolled out

7298-623: Was created by merging three venerable rivals—the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR, 1846), the New York Central Railroad (NYC, 1831), and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H, 1872)—as well as some smaller competitors. In 1980, Conrail became profitable after the Staggers Act largely deregulated the U.S. railroad industry. When the U.S. government offered up Conrail for sale in 1983, Norfolk Southern

7387-660: Was expanded west into the coalfields , and later into a much large system, eventually tapping the Ohio Valley and Mississippi Valley commerce as earlier promised Virginia. The N&W was combined with the Southern Railway , another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982. Today, much of the former Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad remains in service for Norfolk Southern. The Fortune 500 company, headquartered in Norfolk, transports bituminous coal , intermodal shipping containers, automobile parts and completed vehicles, and other commodities in

7476-580: Was impaired. This often resulted in five-letter reporting marks, an option not otherwise allowed by the AAR. Companies owning trailers used in trailer-on-flatcar service are assigned marks ending with the letter "Z", and the National Motor Freight Traffic Association , which maintains the list of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes, assigns marks ending in "U" to owners of intermodal containers . The standard ISO 6346 covers identifiers for intermodal containers. When

7565-449: Was one of the 18 bidders to make offers. The government decided the NS offer was the best choice, and by 1985 had begun planning to sell Conrail to NS. Extensive opposition from competitors, particularly CSX, persuaded the government that selling Conrail to one railroad would create too powerful of a company. As an alternative, Conrail leader (and former Southern Railway CEO) L. Stanley Crane proposed an initial public offering to privatize

7654-416: Was part of the former Pennsylvania Railroad . CSX got the remaining 42%. NS began operating its trains on its portion of the former Conrail network on June 1, 1999, closing out the 1990s merger era. Pennsylvania Lines LLC was a limited liability company was formed in 1998 to own Conrail lines assigned to Norfolk Southern in the split of Conrail; operations were switched over on June 1, 1999. The company

7743-420: Was promoted as a trade link to the west, and further expansion was envisioned with the goal of increasing Virginia's Ohio Valley and Mississippi Valley commerce. It was heavily backed by investors from England and Scotland . The AM&O went into receivership after the U.S. Financial Panic of 1873 . After several years of continuing financial problems, Mahone's relationship with the bondholders soured, and he

7832-474: Was removed as trustee, but was permitted to continue to lead operations. Finally, in 1881, the AM&O was sold at auction. It was acquired by other U.S. interests based in Philadelphia who outbid Mahone. They were already building Shenandoah Valley Railroad and had a new commodity in mind: bituminous coal . The AM&O was renamed to Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). Norfolk & Western Railway

7921-468: Was the only Class I railroad to significantly reduce the rate of mainline derailments, even as the industry as a whole experienced a decline in this area. Reporting mark In North America , the mark, which consists of an alphabetic code of two to four letters, is stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one- to six-digit number. This information is used to uniquely identify every such rail car or locomotive, thus allowing it to be tracked by

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