How Norfolk Southern Is Preparing to Keep America's Crops Moving

For much of the country, harvest season represents the culmination of a year's worth of planning, investment, and hard work. For Norfolk Southern, the same is true.

Long before grain begins moving from fields to elevators, processors, and export terminals, railroad employees are preparing the network that will help transport those products across the world. NS is entering the season with a focus on safety, capacity, network performance, and customer support.

"Harvest is one of the most important periods of the year for our agricultural customers and for the nation's supply chain," said Chief Commercial Officer Ed Elkins. "Our focus is making sure we have the resources, people, and network performance necessary to support customer success."

Investments Across the Network

Supporting harvest season begins with having the right assets in place. NS’ grain hopper fleet has grown to more than 3,500 cars, providing customers with additional capacity and flexibility as demand increases.

The company has also continued investing in locomotive resources, with over 3,200 locomotives available across the fleet and additional units expected to enter service later this year.

At the same time, NS continues to strengthen its workforce by hiring and developing the employees needed to support long-term growth.

Improved Network Performance a Great Signal for Readiness

Network fluidity remains one of the most important drivers of service reliability. NS has steadily improved performance through the summer months, despite dealing with challenging weather cycles.

Key operating metrics, including train speed and terminal dwell, have steadily improved in the last several weeks. We have also increased the average grain train size year over year, creating greater efficiency across the network while helping maximize available capacity.

These improvements provide a stronger foundation for supporting customer demand throughout the season.

People Power the Harvest and Its Supply Chain

Behind every railcar and locomotive is a team of employees working to keep the railroad moving. Mechanical teams inspect and maintain equipment to ensure reliability. Engineering teams improve tracks, bridges, and other infrastructure to expand capacity and support service. Transportation teams move trains safely and efficiently. Customer logistics representatives work directly with customers to manage shipments. Agricultural marketing teams maintain close communication with grain shippers and supply chain partners on their outlook and what they reap.

Together, those employees help ensure NS can respond quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs.

Moving America's Harvest

Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors NS serves. Each year, grain shipped across the railroad supports food production, livestock operations, export markets, and manufacturing facilities throughout North America.

As harvest season begins, NS remains focused on helping customers connect to those opportunities.

Through continued investments in people, equipment, and network performance, we are prepared to support another successful harvest.