NS assisted 77 rail-served industrial projects in 2019

Norfolk Southern Railway worked with 77 businesses that opened new or expanded facilities on its rail lines in 2019, the Class I announced today.

NS customers across 16 states invested nearly $2 billion to develop 54 new and 23 expanded rail-served commercial projects, company officials said in a press release.

The investment is expected to generate more than 62,300 carloads of new rail traffic annually for NS, they said.

"Industrial development activity in 2019 reflected modest, but steady, growth across our service area," said Chris Ingraham, assistant vice president of industrial development. "We saw a balanced mix of projects across our business markets, including chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction, and forest and consumer products. Going into 2020, we're encouraged as project activity remains steady and productive."

Among the largest development projects last year were a fertilizer facility in Aurora, North Carolina; a butane export plant in Chesapeake, Virginia; a tissue manufacturing plant in Macon, Georgia; an asphalt facility in Chickasaw, Alabama; and an auto frame warehouse in Maumee, Ohio.

NS works with customers and state and local economic development leaders to identify suitable rail-served sites and develop infrastructure that connects industrial development projects to its rail network. The Class I's industrial development department provides free and free and confidential facility-location services, including industrial park planning, site layout, track design and supply-chain analysis.

Over the past 10 years, NS has participated in locating or expanding 974 industrial facilities that represent private investment of nearly $62 billion, company officials said.