ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern customers engaged in more than $7.7 billion in development for more than 60 new or expanded rail-served industries on NS and its shortline partners, the railroad said today (Monday, Feb. 2).
While U.S. manufacturing saw mixed indicators in 2025, the railroad’s network continued to attract investment. NS has more than 500 U.S. manufacturing projects in the site selection phase.
“Our customers’ $7.7 billion pipeline underscores rail’s foundational — and increasingly strategic — role in U.S. supply chains,” NS Chief Commercial Officer Ed Elkins said in a press release. “In 2026, we’re focusing on creating turnkey sites and achieving ever-higher service standard so that customers benefit from a range of advantages that come with choosing a Norfolk Southern-served property.”
The developments were across a broad range of industrial sectors, including metal, paper, aggregates, and automotive. Among the key projects were a new auto manufacturing facility in Orangeburg, S.C. [see “Auto supplier ready to break ground …,” Trains.com, Dec. 5, 2025] and a $6 billion Eli Lilly and Co. pharmaceutical plant in Huntsville, Ala. [see “Norfolk Southern to serve …,” Dec. 10, 2025].
Norfolk Southern’s rail-served sites include 15 that in 2025 were receiving the independent Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment designation from the Site Selectors Guild.
“These REDI designations make site selection faster and more predictable for companies that rely on rail,” said Craig Hudson, NS group vice president of industrial development. “Our development-ready sites are engineered for rail connectivity and logistical efficiency, which helps customers compress timelines and communities capture high-quality jobs and investment.”
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I was also looking for tracks, John.
Funny, I don’t see any tracks in the picture. If they’re not served by rail how can NS claim them?
What we see is America’s pattern of land use — a huge suburban development with plenty of green space and a solar farm. All well and good. Anybody who drives a car would love to work there. This is why mass transit doesn’t work in the United States.
I find it ironic that “the greenies” who advocate battery – powered cars (which aren’t at all resource efficient) love those battery plants chewing up farmland fifteen miles from any bus or commuter train route.
We have come a long way since around 1971 when I met a man who commuted to work at Chrysler Hamtramck Assembly (or “Dodge Main”) by bus — get this on the NIGHT SHIFT. Now Detroit’s buses don’t run at all at night, let alone on commuter-friendly schedules.