Close up of Norfolk Southern employee in safety vest standing on the front of an eco train thinking about customer centric strategy

OUR STRATEGY

We have charted a groundbreaking strategy that balances the safe delivery of reliable and resilient service, continuous productivity improvement, and smart, sustainable growth.

Thoroughbreds Power More

Norfolk Southern is more than the trains we move—it’s the people who power them. Our railroaders bring grit, pride, and responsibility to every mile of track, driving the safe, reliable, and resilient service that fuels our economy. Their dedication moves more than freight—it powers progress.

Our long-term strategy builds on this strength. By listening to our customers and focusing on operational excellence, we deliver sustainable growth and create lasting value for all our stakeholders. With a nearly 200-year legacy and a network covering 19,500 route miles across 22 states, we move essential goods that keep industries running and communities thriving.

ACHIEVING BALANCE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

Our long-term vision for success means listening to our customers and competing on operational excellence by achieving balance.

  • Three Norfolk Southern employees in safety vests looking at a customer centric strategy on paper next to trains

    Service

    We are investing to make service an enduring competitive advantage that allows our customers to confidently build Norfolk Southern into their long-term supply plans.

  • Man in safety vest bent down inspecting train tracks showing Norfolk Southern’s customer centric strategy in acti

    Productivity

    An efficient railroad is a fast, fluid railroad that delivers reliable service for our customers, sustained value for our shareholders and predictable work schedules for our employees.

  • Norfolk Southern employee walking under a railway to help further their customer centric strategy

    Growth

    We have a franchise built for growth, with a powerful rail network that serves the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. economy and more than half of the U.S. population and manufacturing centers.

Everything Starts With Safety

Achieving success starts with safety, that's why we're taking action every day to make a safe railroad even safer. We intend to become the gold standard for safety in the railroad industry, collaborating with outside experts, our union partners, and our industry peers to make a safe railroad even safer.

Safety at Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern employee in hard hat tightening giant wheel showing a customer centric strategy in action

MOVING FORWARD, TOGETHER

We’re looking to the future and laying tracks that advance the entire industry. Our strategy for rail is built to move everyone forward – from the people who power it to the people it serves.

Our Employees

Our growth strategy means more training and career advancement opportunities for our people, who are the very best in the industry.  We have a special focus on providing a strong quality of life for the front-line railroaders who work hard to move the U.S economy every day.

Man in safety vest squatting down looking at the base of a train helping their customer centric strategy

Our Customers

We strive to deliver reliable and resilient service our customers can count on, create innovative solutions to help our customers grow and compete, and make it easier for our customers to ship with us – delivering the efficiency of rail and the simplicity of trucking.

Nine or more Norfolk Southern container trains on tracks all working towards customer centric strategy

Our Shareholders

We are uniquely positioned to deliver long-term shareholder value through top-tier revenue and earnings growth, industry-competitive margins, and balanced capital deployment.

Man working on a laptop in an office setting reviewing a customer centric strategy

Our Communities

We are committed to doing the right thing for the communities we serve.  Like everything we do, that starts with operating safely.  It also means working with local leaders to create jobs and investment and supporting thriving communities across the 22 states we serve.

Man shaking hands of two people at a booth showing Norfolk Southern’s customer centric strategy

Company Overview

Customer-focused and operations-driven, our railroad has been moving America since 1827.

Who We Are
Aerial closeup of the Norfolk Southern symbol on the outside of the Norfolk southern building