Sunday, July 08, 2012

Track NS heritage locomotives, report safety issues on upgraded Norfolk Southern app

Received the following via email.

July 2, 2012

Track heritage locomotives, report safety issues on upgraded Norfolk Southern app

NORFOLK, VA – Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) has released an upgrade to its mobile app featuring the ability to track and report sightings of the company’s 30th anniversary heritage locomotive fleet and to report safety issues to company police.

The latest version of the NS Corp app originally released last August now is available for iPhone, with a version for Droid phones to be available later. New buttons “Heritage” and “Protect NS” enhance the connection between users and the railroad.

“Heritage” gives users the ability to see where the NS heritage locomotives have been spotted and to report and post photographs of new sightings. To help celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, NS painted 20 new locomotives in the color schemes of some of its most prominent railroad predecessors. Release of the app upgrade coincides with a display of all 20 heritage locomotives July 3 and 4 at the North Carolina Transportation Museum at Spencer, N.C., after which the locomotives will return to freight service.

“Protect NS” enables reporting of safety issues on NS lines and the option of contacting NS police directly. It is a mobile extension of Norfolk Southern’s “Protect the Line” program launched in May whereby observers can report equipment maintenance issues, track obstructions, trespassing, vandalism, suspicious activity, and terrorism.

The upgraded version retains the original app’s functions. An enhanced, smoother moving time line highlights milestones reaching back to Norfolk Southern’s roots in the 1820s.

A “News” button gives users a choice of company news releases and real-time feeds of the NS Facebook and Twitter pages. “Stock” provides the latest available NS stock price and related industry financial news. “Gallery” offers photos and videos of locomotives, people, commodities, and scenery.

In “Trivia,” users can test their rail knowledge. The NS system map and other general company information are found under “About Us,” and “Contact Us” gives key NS telephone numbers.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

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Norfolk Southern contacts:
(Media) Rick Harris, 757-629-2718 (rwharris@nscorp.com)
(Investors) Michael Hostutler, 757-629-2861 (michael.hostutler@nscorp.com)