Heavy Equipment Transport by Rail: Inside Norfolk Southern’s Dimensional Freight Expertise

How NS moves America’s heaviest freight.
 

When freight weighs as much as a house, there’s no room for guesswork. That’s why customers across our network trust Norfolk Southern to move their most complex shipments—like heavy equipment—safely, efficiently, and reliably.
 

From wind turbines and military vehicles to massive transformers and locomotives, these aren’t your everyday rail shipments, also known as dimensional loads. This means they exceed standard railcar limits and require extraordinary planning and precision.
 

What makes a load “dimensional”?
 

Weigh more than 150,000 lbs
Exceed 10’6” wide or 15’6” high
Stretch longer than 60 feet
Require custom routing, special handling, or clearance approvals
 

These aren’t just big moves—they’re high-stakes, high-value operations supporting infrastructure, clean energy, agriculture, national security, and more.
 

A Coordinated Effort from Start to Finish

Every dimensional move across the NS network is powered by cross-functional teamwork:

• Clearance teams confirm the route is safe and compliant
• Mechanical specialists inspect and measure the load
• Transportation manages train spacing, timing, and service
• Commercial partners work directly with customers to align the details
   

It’s a seamless process—with precision planning and real-time coordination at every step. We also deploy specialized railcars, some valued at over $1 million each, engineered to handle oversized, high-value shipments.
 

Growing Global Gateways

Two of our most active global gateways for heavy equipment are Baltimore, MD and Brunswick, GA. Both ports offer robust infrastructure, regular roll on/roll off schedules (or Ro/Ro for short – cargo that can be driven directly on and off ships), and direct NS rail service, making them ideal for high volume, high value shipments.

“These are key locations where customers can take advantage of multimodal efficiency—rail meets port, and we handle the rest,” said NS VP Industrial Products Kathleen Smith.

At the Brunswick State of the Port event in February, Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch said Colonel’s Island Terminal has become the nation’s busiest port for autos and heavy equipment, handling more than 2 million tons of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo in 2024. USATradeonline also reported that Brunswick took the top spot in the nation for RoRo exports last year.

NS also connects with 300+ trusted transload facilities, including the Great Lakes Reload in Chicago which we own, to support moves ranging from steel to agricultural equipment. Our transload network gives NS and our customers an expansive reach and the flexibility to adapt quickly to shifting supply chain needs.

Moving the Machines That Power America

Norfolk Southern supports dimensional freight needs across several key industries:

Power Generation: Delivering for Siemens and supporting the U.S. energy grid

Clean Energy: Transporting wind turbines and recycled turbine components for Vesta

Agriculture & Construction: Moving heavy equipment for iconic brands, like John Deere and Kubota.

Defense & Aerospace: Enabling critical moves for national defense and spaceflight missions, like NASA’s Artemis II mission.
 

These moves aren’t one-offs—they’re part of a scalable, coast-to-coast system built for consistency, precision, and growth.  If you’re moving something big, let’s talk. We’re open for business.