Safety, service shine in Norfolk Southern’s latest quarter

Today, Norfolk Southern shared its third-quarter earnings results, highlighting notable gains in safety, service and productivity. The company’s service and safety improvements continue a trend spanning multiple quarters and reflect NS’ commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality service for our customers.

Another stride in safety

Driven by our Speak Up culture, committed leadership development and continued focus on disciplined execution, NS’ year-to-date personal injury and train accident rates improved 8% and 28%, respectively, compared to full-year 2024 results.

Service shows commitment

We continue to enhance service for our customers, with sustained improvements to train velocity, terminal dwell and locomotive productivity. Locomotive productivity is up over 8%, with car miles per day up 8% compared to the same quarter last year and significantly beyond the 5-year NS average.

Fuel efficiency sets a record (again)

For the fifth consecutive quarter, Norfolk Southern set a quarterly fuel efficiency record, this time establishing an all-time record, improving 5% year over year. Those gains helped NS exceed productivity targets in 2024 and 2025 as well as increase the three-year target (2024-2026) by $50 million to a cumulative goal of $600 million by managing the system with precision and innovation.

Other quarterly highlights include:

• Enhanced safety through the Automated Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS), which uses locomotives to continuously scan and evaluate track conditions with advanced sensors and lasers to measure alignment, gauge, elevation and curvature. Digital & Technology, in collaboration with Engineering, are transforming locomotives into moving inspection platforms on wheels. ATGMS operates under load, meaning inspections happen while trains are in motion. This approach increases the inspection frequency without adding extra equipment or disrupting operations.
• Upgraded terminals across our network to support capacity, efficiency and customer demand. Several main terminals received major enhancements to facilitate business development locally. The projects will also improve air quality by reducing traffic congestion in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
• Released the 2025 Forging a Better Tomorrow Report, which highlights progress in building a safer, more resilient and sustainable railroad. Key achievements include cutting emissions by 16% since 2019, more than doubling low-carbon biofuel use since 2022 and launching RailGreen™, a first-of-its-kind emissions-reduction program helping customers reduce supply chain emissions.

For more details, see the company’s quarterly earnings press release.