Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway

NS system map; trackage rights in purple
Reporting mark	NS
Locale	Eastern United States
Dates of operation	1982 (1982)–Present
Predecessor	Norfolk & Western Railway Southern Railway Conrail
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	21,500 miles (34,600 kilometres)
Headquarters	Norfolk, Virginia
Website	nscorp.com

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NS headquarters building in Norfolk, Virginia
Type	Public
Traded as	: NSC DJTA Component S&P 500 Component
Industry	Transportation
Founded	Norfolk, Virginia, USA (July 23, 1980 (1980-07-23))
Headquarters	Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Key people	James A. Squires (Chairman, President & CEO)
Revenue	US$ 11.245 billion (2013) US$ 11.04 billion (2012)
Operating income	US$ 3.257 billion (2013) US$ 3.124 billion (2012)
Net income	US$ 1.91 billion (2013) US$ 1.749 billion (2012)
Total assets	US$ 32.483 billion (2013) US$ 30.342 billion (2012)
Total equity	US$ 11.289 billion (2013) US$ 9.76 billion (2012)
Number of employees	30,943
Website	nscorp.com

The Norfolk Southern Railway (reporting mark NS ) is a Class I railroad in the United States; began in 1982 and 1990. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 36,200 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia, and has rights in Canada from Buffalo to Toronto and over the Albany to Montreal route. NS is responsible for maintaining 29,000 miles, with the remainder being operated under trackage rights from other parties responsible for maintenance. The common commodity hauled on the railroad is coal from mines in Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The railroad also offers the largest intermodal network in eastern North America.

NS is a major transporter of domestic and export coal. The railroad's major sources of the mineral are located in: Pennsylvania's Cambria and Indiana counties, as well as the Monongahela Valley; West Virginia; and the Appalachia regions of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In Pennsylvania, NS also receives coal through interchange with R.J. Corman Railroad/Pennsylvania Lines at Cresson, Pennsylvania, originating in the "Clearfield Cluster". NS's export of West Virginia bituminous coal begins transport on portions of the well-engineered former Virginian Railway and the former N&W double-tracked line in Eastern Virginia to its Lambert's Point coal pier on Hampton Roads at Norfolk. Coal transported by NS is thus exported to steel mills and power plants around the world. The company is also a major transporter of auto parts and completed vehicles. It operates intermodal container and TOFC (trailer on flat car) trains, some in conjunction with other railroads. NS was the first railway to employ roadrailers, which are highway truck trailers with interchangeable wheel sets.