90-585: The Washington District is a Norfolk Southern Railway line in the U.S. state of Virginia that connects Alexandria and Lynchburg . Most of the line was built from 1850 to 1860 by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad , while a small portion in the center opened in 1880 as the Charlottesville and Rapidan Railroad. Today, the line is mainly used for freight service, but Amtrak 's Crescent , Cardinal and Northeast Regional passenger services use all or part of
180-601: 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
270-607: 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
360-511: A public–private partnership (P3) for the 75th Street Corridor with construction beginning in October 2018 and is scheduled to be finished by 2025. A parallel span of the Long Bridge is full funded and moving towards engineering design and financing. Starting on October 1, 2019, traditional dining car services were removed and replaced with a reduced menu of "Flexible Dining" options. As a result,
450-689: A Heritage diner, two or three Heritage 10-6 sleepers, a slumbercoach, and finally, a baggage dormitory car. Following the delivery of the Superliner II fleet, however, the Cardinal was re-equipped with Superliner cars in 1995. As a result, its route was truncated to end in Washington D.C., as Superliners cannot operate on the Northeast Corridor due to low tunnel clearances in Baltimore and New York City. With
540-608: 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
630-528: A company. As an alternative, Conrail leader (and former Southern Railway CEO) L. Stanley Crane proposed an initial public offering to privatize 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
720-446: 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
810-640: A federal grant to operate the Cardinal daily and increase speeds between Indianapolis and Dyer. In December 2023 the daily Cardinal project was granted $ 500,000 from the IIJA through the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program . In the early 1990s, the Cardinal ran with the usual Amtrak long-distance consist of two EMD F40PHs or one GE E60 , plus several material handling cars (MHC) and baggage cars, followed by several Amfleet coaches, an Amfleet lounge,
900-458: 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
990-533: 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 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,
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#17328454126111080-457: A separate section bound for Chicago. In early October 2010, Amtrak released a report detailing plans to increase the Cardinal ' s service from thrice-weekly to daily service, as well as increasing the train's on-time performance and food service. The January 2011 issue of Trains later revealed that Amtrak would scrap re-routing and Superliner conversion and instead adopt not only daily service, but also purchasing dome cars to be used along
1170-612: A surprise announcement in October 1996 that CSX would acquire 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,
1260-532: 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
1350-525: Is freight congestion in Chicago particularly at the 75th Street Corridor on Chicago's South Side. The third obstacle is capacity at the Long Bridge in Washington, D.C. Infrastructure improvements are being made at all three. The Orange Branch between Orange and Gordonsville raised train speed after the completion of a track and signal project in 2017. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) has received funding under
1440-683: Is next to the James River crossing. The line was originally constructed by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad . The portion north of Orange was constructed from 1850 to 1854. The extension south to Lynchburg was completed in 1860, with a short section in between that was part of the Virginia Central Railroad . After the Civil War, the company came under the control of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . By 1881, several mergers had made it part of
1530-401: 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 the coal business has declined throughout the 21st century; coal was formerly the largest traffic source. The railway offers
1620-541: The Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited , it is one of three trains linking the Northeast and Chicago . The 1,146-mile (1,844 km) trip between New York and Chicago is scheduled for 28 1 ⁄ 4 hours. The Cardinal has three round trips each week, departing New York City on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and departing Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Prior to being discontinued in 2019,
1710-551: The Hoosier State provided service on the portion of the Cardinal's route between Indianapolis and Chicago on the other four days of the week. The Cardinal's ridership was 82,705 in fiscal year 2023, a 3.0% increase from FY2022, but approximately 25% below its pre- COVID-19 pandemic ridership of about 109,000 in FY2019. In the two fiscal years prior to the pandemic (FY2018 and FY2019), ridership had increased 12.5%. In FY2020,
1800-515: The Sunset Limited . Like other long-distance trains, passengers are not allowed to travel only between stations on the Northeast Corridor on the Cardinal . Eastbound trains only stop to discharge passengers from Alexandria northward, and westbound trains only stop to receive passengers from Newark to Washington. This policy aims to keep seats available for passengers making longer trips; passengers traveling between Northeast Corridor stations can use
1890-638: The Cardinal ' s eastern terminus was temporarily moved to Washington. Cardinal passengers needing to travel to or from points north of Washington were transferred to a Northeast Regional . With the Indianapolis routing, the Cardinal began operating jointly with the Chicago–Indianapolis Hoosier State . The Hoosier State operated to Indianapolis on the days the Cardinal did not, assuring seven-day service between Chicago and Indianapolis. This pattern ceased on October 25, 1987, when
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#17328454126111980-557: The Cardinal and Sunset Limited . The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee with bipartisan support, and was later rolled into President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Congress passed on November 5, 2021. The report is known as the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study and must be delivered to Congress within two years. In mid-2023, Amtrak applied for
2070-400: The Cardinal departs late afternoon, reaching Indianapolis before midnight, Charleston mid-morning, and New York City in the late evening. While Cincinnati is served both directions with stops after midnight, about 15,000 passengers a year arrive or depart from this station. The Cardinal is one of only two of Amtrak's 15 long-distance trains to operate only three days a week, the other being
2160-484: The Cardinal operates along former C&O/CSX trackage, preventing frequent freight trains from passing a daily Cardinal . This problem also applied to the planned-but-failed Greenbrier Presidential Express train, which would also have traversed the Buckingham Branch on a weekly basis. The Buckingham Branch requires additional funding to expand several sidings before allowing additional service. Another obstacle
2250-667: The Cardinal was truncated to Washington, D.C. after the consist was updated with Superliners . On October 27, 2002, after derailments on other routes depleted available Superliner cars, the Superliners were replaced with Viewliners . The Cardinal continued to operate the Chicago-Washington D.C. schedule. Service to New York was restored on Sunday's westbound Cardinal on October 27, 2003. Full service to New York resumed on April 26, 2004. From March 29, 2018, to November 8, 2018, due to continuing construction at New York Penn Station,
2340-426: The Cardinal . The Cardinal seasonally included a dome car prior to the car's retirement. Amtrak began replacing the older P40DC and P42DC locomotives with Siemens ALC-42 locomotives in 2023. The Cardinal's typical consist as of July 2024 is made up of: Amtrak bills the Cardinal ' s route as one of the most scenic in its system. After an early morning departure from New York and traveling south down
2430-653: 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, 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
2520-676: The George Washington and the westbound train (train 51) known as the Riley . The eastern terminus was briefly extended to Boston , giving the Northeast Corridor a one-seat ride to Chicago. However, it was truncated back to Washington in 1972. On May 19, 1974, Amtrak fully merged the George Washington into the Riley . During the early Amtrak era, the Riley was plagued by the poor condition of ex-New York Central track in Indiana. In 1973, it
2610-675: The Georgia Tech sustainability program for the next three years. In order to align itself with climate-change goals set by 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,
2700-514: The Hoosier State became a full-fledged daily train once again. The Hoosier State was dropped on September 8, 1995, but resumed again on July 19, 1998, again running on days that the Cardinal did not run. On December 17, 1999, Amtrak extended the Hoosier State to Jeffersonville, Indiana , (and later to Louisville, Kentucky ) and renamed the train the Kentucky Cardinal . This new train
2790-741: The Nickel Plate Road , among others. In January 1979, major eastern United States railroad holding companies Chessie System and Seaboard System Railroad applied to 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;
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2880-685: The Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad in 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
2970-782: 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 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
3060-547: The Staggers Act largely deregulated the U.S. railroad industry. When the U.S. government offered up Conrail for sale in 1983, Norfolk Southern 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
3150-584: 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
3240-711: The Virginia Midland Railway , which in 1886 was leased to the Richmond and Danville Railroad . Both were merged into the Southern Railway in 1894, forming part of its main line. The Southern Railway later acquired the Charlottesville and Rapidan Railroad, which had opened in 1880, bypassing the former Virginia Central Railroad segment (which is now the Buckingham Branch Railroad 's Washington Subdivision ). The Southern Railway merged into Norfolk Southern in 1982. Part of Norfolk Southern's Piedmont Division,
3330-560: The C&;O's flagship train, was a long-distance sleeper that ran between Cincinnati and—via a split in Charlottesville, Virginia —Washington, D.C. and Newport News, Virginia . Until the late 1950s, the Riley carried the Washington ' s sleeper cars between Cincinnati and Chicago. Both routes survived until the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak kept service mostly identical through
3420-457: 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 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
3510-648: The Cardinal earned $ 7.1 million on expenses of $ 22.6M—a revenue-to-cost ratio of 31%, the second lowest among all Amtrak routes. The Cardinal is the successor of several previous trains, primarily the New York Central (later Penn Central ) James Whitcomb Riley and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) George Washington . The James Whitcomb Riley was a daytime all-coach train which operated between Chicago and Cincinnati (via Indianapolis). The George Washington,
3600-400: The Chicago-Washington, D.C., portion of the trip. In addition, the routing into Chicago Union Station would be changed and station platforms along the route containing coal dust would be scrubbed and cleaned. However, obstacles to a daily Cardinal persist. Track capacity is limited on the Buckingham Branch Railroad , a short line railroad between Orange and Clifton Forge, Virginia where
3690-784: 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
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3780-455: The July 2010 issue of Trains magazine, the Cardinal was noted as being one of five routes under consideration for performance improvement. For the Cardinal , the proposed changes included increasing service from thrice-weekly to daily operation, and changing the western terminus to St. Louis , Missouri . Railfan and Railroad magazine also suggested that the train be rerouted to St. Louis, with
3870-468: The Midwest were plagued by similar problems. The James Whitcomb Riley was renamed the Cardinal on October 30, 1977, as the cardinal was the state bird of all six states through which it ran. However, due to poor track conditions in Indiana, the train was rerouted numerous times, first over various Penn Central/ Conrail routings that had once been part of the Pennsylvania Railroad , then ultimately over
3960-652: The Northeast Corridor, the train passes through Virginia's rolling horse country, across the Blue Ridge and the Shenandoah Valley . It then climbs the Allegheny Mountains and stops at the resort town of White Sulphur Springs, home to The Greenbrier , a famous luxury resort. The Cardinal descends on tracks through New River Gorge National Park and Preserve , a unit of the National Park Service protecting
4050-509: 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
4140-741: The Powell Signal (33.8) At Orange (84.7), the Buckingham Branch Railroad 's Washington Subdivision splits and forms a loop that rejoins the Washington District at Charlottesville (112.2). It crosses the CSX James River Subdivision , and then ends at Lynchburg (172.5), becoming the NS Danville District . The line crosses the Rappahannock , Rapidan , South Fork Rivanna , Tye , and James Rivers . The Rivermont Tunnel
4230-494: 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 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
4320-546: The Superliner equipment, the consist would usually be two Superliner sleeping cars, a diner, a Sightseer Lounge , a baggage coach, and a coach. In 2002, two derailments on other routes took numerous Superliner cars out of service. Because of this, insufficient Superliner equipment was available for use on the Cardinal . The Cardinal was re-equipped with a consist of single-level long-distance cars, including dining, lounge, sleeping, and dormitory cars, although service to New York
4410-766: 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 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
4500-446: 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 , a former U.S. Senator. In 2023, retired Navy Admiral Philip Davidson, and Francesca DeBiase, former executive at McDonald's Corporation, were appointed to
4590-498: 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 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,
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#17328454126114680-411: The changes to the consist of the train will have the dining car serve as a lounge car for the exclusive use of sleeping car passengers. In June 2021, Senator Jon Tester of Montana added an amendment to the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 which would require the Department of Transportation (not Amtrak itself) to evaluate daily service on all less frequent long-distance trains, meaning
4770-435: 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
4860-443: 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
4950-432: 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,
5040-569: 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 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
5130-429: 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 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
5220-429: 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
5310-582: 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
5400-437: 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
5490-553: 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
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#17328454126115580-465: 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
5670-433: The early 19th century. The South Carolina Canal & Rail Road was the SOU's earliest predecessor line. Chartered in 1827, 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
5760-417: The former Baltimore and Ohio route via Cottage Grove by 1980. The Cardinal was eventually extended to run along the Northeast Corridor again in an effort to improve the Cardinal's cost recovery ratio , but this time with the eastern terminus moved to New York. Previously, the Broadway Limited ran from New York to Chicago along the Northeast Corridor, but only as far south as Philadelphia . The train
5850-445: 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
5940-405: 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
6030-463: 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
6120-482: 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 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
6210-567: 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
6300-417: The line for various trains. Its Crescent uses the entire line as part of its New York City -to- New Orleans service. The Cardinal uses the portion from Alexandria to Orange as part of its New York-to- Chicago service. Since 2009, its Northeast Regional service uses the portion of the line from Lynchburg to Washington. The Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line uses the northernmost portion of
6390-430: The line from Alexandria to the Broad Run station just past Manassas. As of June 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is negotiating with Norfolk Southern to purchase the portion of the line between Broad Run and Alexandria. Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway ( reporting mark NS ) is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta ,
6480-855: The line is mainly used for freight service. Major customers include a Cargill grain elevator in Culpeper (milepost 67.4). A former customer, the Pepco Generating Facility, closed in 2012. Other customers include Robinson Terminal in Springfield ; Vulcan Rock Facility in Springfield; Washington Gas in Springfield; Virginia Paving in Alexandria ; NS Ethanol Transflow Facility in Alexandria; and Vulcan Rock Quarry in Casanova (Casanova Branch). Amtrak uses
6570-882: The line, and the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line commuter service uses the northernmost portion of the line. The line begins at the CR Tower signal, where lines from the NS Van Dorn Yard meet with the Horn Track, connecting to the CSX RF&;P Subdivision in Alexandria , where it splits from the CSX Transportation RF&;P Subdivision . It connects to the B-Line in Manassas (milepost 32.6) at
6660-596: The longest deepest river gorge in the Eastern U.S. The river is popular for white water rafting, and the cliffs attract rock climbers. The forests blaze with autumn foliage and the train usually sells out during the peak season. The schedules are timed to provide a daylight transit of the New River Gorge nearly all year. Westbound, the train travels at night from Charleston, West Virginia, on to Indianapolis, where it arrives at about dawn, reaching Chicago mid-morning. Eastbound,
6750-440: 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 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
6840-498: 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
6930-409: 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
7020-410: The spring and summer of 1971. It slowly began integrating the trains that summer. The two trains began exchanging through Washington—Chicago and Newport News—Chicago coaches at Cincinnati on July 12, and a through sleeping car began September 8. On November 14, the Riley and George Washington merged into a single long-distance Chicago-Washington train, with the eastbound train (train 50) known as
7110-464: 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 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
7200-459: 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
7290-430: 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 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
7380-699: Was a 9-mile (14 km) railroad in Virginia that started south of Richmond —specifically, City Point on 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
7470-446: Was a daily service; on days when the Cardinal operated, the two trains ran combined between Indianapolis and Chicago. Amtrak ultimately discontinued the Kentucky Cardinal on July 4, 2003, and brought back the Hoosier State on the pre-1999 schedule. After Indiana discontinued its subsidy, Amtrak suspended the Hoosier State as of June 30, 2019. Passengers who booked trips after that date were compensated with Cardinal tickets. In
7560-570: 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
7650-461: Was discontinued on September 30, 1981, but revived on January 8, 1982, per a mandate initiated by Senator Robert C. Byrd . While the Cardinal and its predecessors had run daily, the revived Cardinal ran only three times per week. The revived train followed another new route, via Richmond and Muncie, Indiana . This arrangement lasted until April 27, 1986, when the train was finally moved to its current route via Indianapolis. On October 29, 1995,
7740-581: 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 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
7830-523: 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 the Southeast, East, and Midwest United States. The corporation further facilitates transport to the remainder of
7920-512: Was moved to ex- Pennsylvania Railroad track through Indianapolis . By 1974, Amtrak rerouted it off Penn Central track altogether; by then, the trackage had deteriorated so badly that the Riley was limited to 10 mph (16 km/h) for much of its route through Indiana. The Newport News section ended in 1976, replaced by the Boston–;Newport News Colonial . A number of long-distance trains running along former Penn Central trackage in
8010-472: Was not restored until 2004. Subsequent fleet shortages shortened the Cardinal further, and at one point, the train was running with two or three Amfleet II coaches and a combined diner-lounge car. While the sleeping car was later restored, the Cardinal has not had a dormitory car or a diner since. Similarly, though the baggage car was also removed, it was restored in response to an upturn in patronage in mid-2010. In 2016, Amtrak added business class service to
8100-458: 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. Cardinal (train) The Cardinal is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station via Philadelphia , Washington, D.C. , Charlottesville , Charleston , Huntington , Cincinnati , and Indianapolis . Along with
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