CSX
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) on Aug. 22 visited CSX Southover Yard in Savannah, Ga, as part of his “Take Buddy to Work Day” program, which helps him learn about the daily work and challenges faced by local industries in his district. Carter, an area native who started his career as Mayor of Pooler, Ga., is serving his fifth term in the House; he is a member of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee and the House Budget Committee, and chairs the E&C Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials.
CSX Conductor Kevin Cook was among the Georgia residents who invited Rep. Carter to their workplace. After being selected, Cook hosted the Congressman at Southover Yard, where he has more than 20 years of work experience.
During the visit, Rep. Carter didn’t just watch; he got involved. According to CSX, which released a special video of the event (view above), this hands-on approach, including learning how to throw a switch (see photograph, top), showed Rep. Carter’s “desire to really understand what the workers do every day.”
“I hope we left Congressman Carter with an impression the railroad is about individuals,” Kevin Cook said in the video. “I might be small, on the bottom, but without a good foundation, Mr. [Joe] Hinrichs [CSX’s President and CEO] doesn’t succeed either. So, it’s just being part of the equation.”
Rep. Carter noted in the video that he was “impressed by the safety that is really emphasized” at CSX.
The video also included a presentation by Hinrichs, who said that Kevin Cook’s enthusiasm, commitment to CSX, and his role in making the visit possible are “truly commendable,” and initiatives like Take Buddy to Work Day “are vital” to the industry.
“The presentation from Mr. Hinrichs was, it’s humbling,” Cook said in the video. “The CEO of CSX understands, he knows my name, he knows what I contribute to the company, and that’s humbling.”
In other CSX news, the Class I earlier this month reached tentative Agreements with 12 unions. Also, it added Seaboard Air Line Railroad to its heritage fleet.
NS
NS has been shortlisted for the 2024 Reuters Automotive D.R.I.V.E Honours awards program, which it said celebrates “innovation, commitment, impact and leadership within the automotive industry.” The railroad is one of 10 companies in the Reducing Emissions category; all are recognized for “driving sustainability, zero emission or net-zero goals.” NS is the only freight transportation company in the category’s shortlist, which also includes Ascend Elements, Fermata Energy, KPIT Technologies, Nissan Motor Corporation, Polestar, SK On, Tech Mahindra Ltd., UPM Biochemicals UPM Biofuels, and Vulcan Energy Resources. Only three of these companies will be selected for an award.
The Reuters awards program also will choose three honorees in these categories: DEI Commitment (organizations), Innovation (organizations), Visionary Leader (individual executives), and Empowering Women (individual executives). All award winners will be announced at the Automotive D.R.I.V.E Conference in Detroit, Mich., on Oct. 21.
NS serves more than 27 automotive manufacturing plants. “[A]s the rail industry’s largest shipper of auto products in North America, we are uniquely positioned to assist the industry in lowering its overall carbon footprint,” NS reported during its Aug. 27 announcement of the Reuters recognition. “Annually, Norfolk Southern helps customers collectively avoid approximately 15 million metric tons of carbon emissions by shipping goods and materials with Norfolk Southern instead of trucks. This is equivalent to around 1.5 billion gallons of truck diesel fuel. According to the most recent Carbon Disclosure Project report, supply chain emissions are 26 times higher than operational emissions for the average company, making mode of transportation a significant opportunity for a company’s emissions savings.”
For more on NS’s work to combat supply chain emissions, read its inaugural Climate Transition Plan and its 2024 “Forging a Better Tomorrow” report.
On August 24-25, NS made its final RoadRailer run, according to a LinkedIn post by NS Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins. It marked the end of nearly four decades of the “innovative service with unique equipment that helped pave the way for multimodal transportation,” he reported.
“As we celebrate the legacy of RoadRailers and their impact on our customers, we now look to the future,” Elkins noted. “With the launch of our new Triple Crown container service, we’re not just preserving the essence of what made RoadRailer successful—we’re enhancing it. This new service will expand our network, unlock capacity, and provide our customers with even greater value and efficiency. Triple Crown has always represented more than just a mode of transport; it’s a commitment to growth and service excellence. As we transition, I want to thank everyone who has been a part of the RoadRailer journey. Your dedication and hard work have helped build something truly remarkable. Here’s to the future—and the new paths we will forge for our customers!”
While the final RoadRailer train was departing, the new TCZU Triple Crown container train was being built for its maiden voyage, according to NS (see photograph below).
NS in 2015 announced that it was restructuring its Triple Crown Services (TCS) subsidiary, which specialized in the use of RoadRailer equipment in dedicated trains. Its new focus: the transportation of automobile parts. The railroad said at that time it would work with shippers and logistics partners to convert other business TCS handles into NS’s intermodal network.
“TCS will continue RoadRailer service for automobile parts between Detroit and Kansas City for the foreseeable future but will transition to containers in other NS lanes,” Railway Age reported Sept. 18, 2015.
“This change is a natural evolution in the business,” Alan H. Shaw said at that time; Shaw, who took over NS leadership in 2021, held the same position as Elkins in 2015. “We want to retain the best of TCS in specific markets, with efficient door-to-door logistics and award-winning customer service.”
On April 1, 2024, NS merged its wholly owned subsidiaries Triple Crown Services Company and Thoroughbred Direct Intermodal Services, Inc. to create a newly formed, combined entity under the name Triple Crown Services, Inc. (TCSI). This strategic alignment, NS said, allows customers to utilize TCSI for both their motor carrier and brokerage needs. TCSI continues to be headquartered in Blue Bell, Pa.
Editor’s Note: “Will RoadRailer Deliver?” was Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono’s first article for the magazine. “The United States Postal Service and Amtrak are continuing testing of what they hope will be one of the most efficient means of moving mail by rail since the Railway Post Office,” Vantuono wrote in the article, which was published in August 1992. “Using a modified version of RoadRailer’s Mark V freight system, Amtrak hopes to gain a substantial amount of mail business, including ‘the ability to provide service at off-line facilities,’ according to Don Skinner, manager of mail and express sales. Trailers can be loaded at a Postal facility not served by Amtrak, transported by truck to an Amtrak terminal, and placed in a high speed passenger consist.”
