Oct.
31, 2013
Norfolk
Southern dedicates expanded Lancaster, Pa., rail yard in honor of former NS vice
president and state senator H. Craig Lewis
LANCASTER,
PA. – In a private ceremony today attended by Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman,
Lt. Governor Jim Cawley, State Senator Tommy Tomlinson, Drexel University
President John Fry, and numerous government and business officials, family and
friends, NS renamed its Dillerville Yard here in honor of H. Craig Lewis. After
serving as state senator for the 6th District in Bucks County for
five terms (1975-1994), Lewis joined NS as vice president corporate affairs in
1997, retiring from the railroad in 2009. He died unexpectedly earlier this
year.
“Because
of his experience and respect from both sides of the aisle in Harrisburg, Craig
was a key part of our integration of Conrail’s assets in Pennsylvania in the
late 1990s,” said Moorman. “He later led our passenger and transit policy team
and managed many complex projects, including the sale of Conrail’s Boonton Line
to New Jersey Transit and the NS phase of the Lancaster Northwest Gateway
Project. Craig brought energy, creativity, and humor to every initiative and was
able to bring diverse perspectives together in a collaborative manner.
Dedicating our yard in Lancaster in honor of Craig is a fitting
tribute.”
“As
a state senator, Craig Lewis dedicated himself to community service and economic
development,” said Cawley. “That is why Norfolk Southern could not have selected
a more appropriate project to dedicate to his memory.”
“Craig
was a fine man who honorably served his district and constituents,” said
Tomlinson. “I am proud to have followed his legacy in the Senate and to have
called him my friend.”
“Craig
was a dear friend and a trusted colleague. He quickly grasped the strategic
importance of the Northwest Gateway Project for the City of Lancaster, Franklin
& Marshall College, and Lancaster General Health,” said Fry. “He became our
partner in addressing the many technical and logistical hurdles involved with
making this project a reality. I am very pleased that Norfolk Southern has
chosen to honor Craig for his service to their company and to this community by
naming this rail facility the H. Craig Lewis Yard.”
The
expansion of Lewis Yard began in early 2009 following several years of studies
and design and will be completed next month. The yard expansion is part of the
Lancaster Northwest Gateway Project, a $75 million plan to remediate and
redevelop approximately 75 acres of urban brownfields to enhance economic
development opportunities in the City of Lancaster by connecting the city street
grid system, creating urban green spaces, and providing campus development sites
for Franklin & Marshall College and Lancaster General Health on land
formerly owned by Armstrong World Industries and NS. The final segment of the
Gateway Project will begin in the spring of 2014 when the railroad transfers
ownership of approximately 28 acres of its yard east of Dillerville Road to
Franklin & Marshall and Lancaster General. This work is expected to take 12
months to complete.
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.
###
Norfolk Southern
contacts: