From road to rail: The case for smarter shipping

Norfolk Southern discusses rail’s advantages on worldwide stage; marks RailGreen anniversary.

Shifting freight from road to rail can deliver meaningful emissions reductions, but success depends on operational reliability and collaboration across the supply chain.

Those realities were front and center at Smart Freight Week in Amsterdam, where Josh Raglin, NS Chief Sustainability Officer, presented on a panel called, “From Roadmap to Railmap: The Use Case for Modal Shift” before over 1,000 industry leaders on April 15.

Zooming out

Converting shipments from road to rail can reduce emissions by 75% and up to 90% in some cases. For example, NS customers avoid an estimated 15 million tons of carbon emissions each year.

Zooming in

Panelists explored the commercial, operational, and systemic factors shaping modal shift decisions, from infrastructure constraints and reliability expectations to business case considerations and collaboration models needed to scale adoption.

The session featured perspectives from across the freight value chain, including shippers, rail carriers, and logistics providers. Others on the panel included:

• Daniel Dorobantu from Yusen Logistics, a global supply chain solutions leader that specializes in air and ocean management.
• Jon Wright from Danone, a global food and beverage leader.
• Marcus Lomax from Smart Freight Centre, who moderated the panel.

RailGreen’s milestone

RailGreen, freight rail’s only verified way to reduce supply chain emissions, recently marked its first anniversary. Since the launch of RailGreen, Norfolk Southern has added another supplier of the low-carbon biofuel, increasing flexibility and access for customers. Raglin told attendees that supply chain emissions are among the hardest to track and tackle for shippers, meaning RailGreen is helping customers exceed business goals easier than ever before.

What we’re saying

“Rail is already the most sustainable way to move goods over land. With RailGreen, that advantage is taken to a level not seen before.” — Josh Raglin, NS Chief Sustainability Officer

Explore rail’s advantages

• Learn about RailGreen.

Use Norfolk Southern’s Carbon Calculator to see how to save emissions and costs through shipping via rail. The tool helps customers measure the emissions impact of shipping choices and identify opportunities for improvement.