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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Agrees to Settlement in Graniteville Lawsuit

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. – Norfolk Southern is asking a federal judge to approve a class settlement to a lawsuit filed after a Jan. 6, 2005, derailment that left nine people dead. The Norfolk, Va. -based company filed a motion in South Carolina federal court proposing a settlement that “would provide varying levels of compensation for people who were injured and who received medical treatment or were hospitalized as a result of the derailment and subsequent release of chlorine,” the railroad said in a news release. On Jan. 6, 2005, a northbound Norfolk Southern Railway freight train encountered an improperly lined switch

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Announces Planned 2007 Capital Spending

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern Corp. plans to spend $1.34 billion in 2007 for capital improvements to its railroad operations and subsidiaries, the company announced. “Our capital budget reflects our commitment to maintain a safe and vibrant rail system to meet the continuing strong demand we anticipate in 2007 and beyond,” said Chief Executive Officer Wick Moorman. “We will continue to invest in the infrastructure, equipment and technology necessary to provide the best possible service to our customers.” The anticipated spending includes $884 million for roadway projects, $401 million for equipment and $55 million for small projects and real estate.

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BNSF

Veterans Welcome as Rail Industry Hires 80,000 Employees; Major Railroads Cited as Top Military-Friendly Employers

WASHINGTON – The nation’s four largest railroads have all made the list of “Top 50 Military-Friendly Employers” as determined by GI Jobs magazine. The railroad industry is creating 80,000 American jobs over the next six years, and is one of the few industries that doesn’t outsource its jobs or facilities overseas. Thousands of those being hired are former military personnel, including both officers and enlisted personnel. The jobs they perform cross the entire spectrum of railroading, from locomotive engineers to conductors to civil engineers to information technology to marketing. “Today, railroads are going through a hiring boom as more and

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Norfolk Southern

NTSB Probes Pa. Derailment

NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. – National Transportation Safety Board investigators are at the scene of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment near New Brighton, a city about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The derailment occurred about 10:40 p.m. yesterday. In the wreck, about two dozen of the train’s 83 tank cars carrying ethanol derailed and fell off a bridge. No one was injured in the crash, but about nine of the cars caught fire, according to published reports. About 50 people were displaced because of the derailment. “I actually felt the explosion at my house. It was like lightning struck in

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern’s Shelocta Secondary Opens for Business

PHILADELPHIA – Norfolk Southern Corp. today announced that the first train will run on the new Shelocta Secondary on Monday (Aug. 7), culminating a five-year, $44 million project The line establishes a direct rail connection from Norfolk Southern’s Conemaugh Line in Saltsburg, Pa., to the coal-powered Keystone Generating Station in Shelocta, Pa. “The Shelocta Secondary is a new link in our network providing the Keystone Generating Station with an efficient direct connection to western Pennsylvania coal fields served by Norfolk Southern,” said Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern’s chief executive officer. “Norfolk Southern’s investment in this project underscores our commitment to improving

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Thelen and Heilig to Operations Positions

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. named two people to key positions in its operations division, effective Aug. 1, 2006. Gerhard A. Thelen has been named vice president operations planning and support, headquartered in Norfolk. He will be responsible for the corporation’s operations planning, policies, budgets, research and tests and quality management functions. He has a masters degree from Pennsylvania State University and graduated from the Fachhochschule Munich (university for applied sciences). Thelen joined Norfolk Southern in 1977 and served in quality, engineering, research, and mechanical positions before being named vice president mechanical in 2004. Tim A. Heilig has been

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BNSF

STB Releases Fall Peak Service Plans

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has released letters from Class I railroads outlining their “peak season” service plans. In June, Chairman W. Douglas Buttrey sent letters to the chief executive officers of the seven largest railroads and to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), asking the railroads to inform the STB of their plans to ascertain the demand for, and to prepare for, the provision of peak-season service; their performance goals for the remainder of 2006 and their plans for achieving those goals; and their plans to communicate their service goals and plans with customers. In

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Norfolk Southern

Flames Reported After Ala. Wreck

LINCOLN, Ala. – Two Norfolk Southern trains, including one that was carrying sodium cyanide, collided Jan. 18 near a Honda plant, causing a "massive" fire, WXIA-TV reported on its Web site. Flames as tall as 60 feet were reported after one train was rear-ended by another, according to reports. Three injuries were reported as a result of the wreck, according to the WXIA-TV report. About 500 people living within two miles of the crash were evacuated, the television station reported. Service on Norfolk Southern’s line between Birmingham, Ala., and Meridian, Miss., was restored a day earlier following a Jan. 16

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Announces Planned 2006 Capital Spending

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern Corporation plans to spend $1.146 billion in 2006 for capital improvements to its railroad operations and subsidiaries. "Continuing strong demand for rail transportation is driving the need for additional investment in Norfolk Southern’s rail network," said CEO Wick Moorman. "Our 2006 capital program ensures that our network and assets continue to be well maintained and also provides for increased capacity in terms of infrastructure, locomotives and cars, and new technology. These investments will enable Norfolk Southern to maintain its safe and reliable operations while providing for further improvements in customer service and capacity for continuing