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Norfolk Southern Railway set a performance record for United Parcel Service during the shipper's peak season between Nov. 27 and Dec. 24, moving about 18 million packages without a service failure, according to the Class I's monthly newsletter.

Intermodal group and operating department officials worked together to keep UPS shipments moving by adding locomotives if necessary, fueling power in Chicago instead of Elkhart, Ind., providing extra end-of-train devices and ensuring employees responded quickly to any potential service failure.

"We met with people across the system, reviewed our plan and addressed any issues before peak time began," said Randy Survant, NS group manager of intermodal marketing.

The planning efforts paid off throughout 2003, enabling NS to set a consecutive-day service record for UPS, as well.

"Our previous record was 91 consecutive days without a failure," said Survant. "We matched that record in the period from June to September 2003. Then, we began our latest record-breaking effort on Oct. 4, which has surpassed 100 days."