Class I Briefs: CSX, NS, UP
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
CSX, NS, UP and The Greenbrier Companies are among the 450 U.S.-based companies named to USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders 2024 list. (NS Photograph)
CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), Union Pacific (UP) and The Greenbrier Companies rank on USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders 2024 list. Also, NS collaborates with its railroaders to enhance their “home away from home”; and UP honors Mechanical employees for working 20 years injury-free.
CSX / NS / UP / The Greenbrier Companies
CSX, NS, UP and The Greenbrier Companies are among the 450 U.S.-based companies named to USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders 2024 list for achieving significant reductions in emissions intensity between 2020 and 2022. USA Today partnered with Statista, a global marketing and consumer data company, to create the second-annual list. Several thousand companies with 2022 revenue of at least $50 million were invited to participate, and 2,000 companies were evaluated. Statista assessed companies based on their effectiveness in reducing core emissions intensity, defined as Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in relation to revenue.
CSX, NS, UP and The Greenbrier Companies were part of the list’s 15 Transportation and Logistics sector honorees. Others included Eagle Bulk Shipping, Knight-Swift Transportation, C.H. Robinson, J.B. Hunt, and Ryder System. There were 15 total business sectors represented on the USA Today list. Among the others: Automotive & Components, Consumer Goods, Health Care & Life Sciences, Real Estate & Housing, and Software & Telecommunications.
“CSX is proud to be recognized by USA Today for our commitment to improving our carbon footprint through meaningful emissions reductions,” said Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of CSX, which earned a spot on the list for the second consecutive year. “Railroads are the most fuel-efficient mode of land freight transportation, so we have a critical role to play in the nation’s climate strategy. CSX has aggressive emissions reduction goals, and thanks to the hard work and commitment of our ONE CSX team, we are proud to be leading efforts within the railroad industry to achieve them.”
According to CSX, its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal is “among the most aggressive in the transportation industry,” targeting a 37.3% reduction in GHG intensity by 2030, against a 2014 base year. The company said it is “leveraging advanced locomotive technologies, innovative operating practices, and alternative fuels to move closer to this goal.”
“We are honored to once again be recognized as one of USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders,” said Josh Raglin, Chief Sustainability Officer at NS, which last year released its inaugural Climate Transition Plan. “As one of the nation’s leading freight railroads, we understand the critical role we play in reducing supply chain emissions and fostering a transition to a low-carbon economy. This acknowledgment reaffirms our ongoing commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and highlights the hard work of our entire team in driving sustainable practices across our operations.”
NS
NS earlier this month reported that it is “enhancing our railroaders home away from home.” The Class I’s team of Train and Engine employees travel throughout its 22-state network, and many spend nights away from their homes as part of their work. “We’re taking additional steps to ensure our railroaders’ comfort while on the road,” NS said. “Collaboration has been key to our progress. We are working with local union leaders of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division to identify hotel options that better meet the needs of our railroaders. Those options included hotels with 24-hour food service, quieter conditions, and modern amenities. NS has contracts with over 50 private-sector hotels, and all have signed new agreements with NS.”
Investments have also been made in NS-owned and rented lodging facilities that house up to 90 railroaders daily, according to the railroad, which noted that “[n]umerous upgrades to the facilities were recently completed, including new furniture and carpeting, along with stronger Wi-Fi.”
“We’re working collaboratively with our labor partners so that our railroaders have the best possible stay while they are away from their home,” said Phil Bergman, NS Manager, Crew Transportation and Lodging. “Our railroaders provide outstanding service every day for our customers, and we are going to continue to find new ways to enhance their experience.”
UP
UP on May 29 reported that Railcar Technicians Patrick Donnelly, Steve Dorio, Tim Gnade, James Rose and Steven Ruggles at Albina Yard in Portland, Ore., marked a safety milestone: working 20 years injury-free.
“Awareness and focus are integral to peer-to-peer safety,” Patrick Donnelly said. “Not one person does it alone.”
Fellow Railcar Technician Preston Garrison recently organized a celebration at the shop recognizing the achievements of the five railroaders’, who support UP’s Pacific Northwest operations—from repairing railcars on remote sidings to inspecting equipment moving through Albina Yard to ensuring the shop itself is well-maintained, according to UP.
“It takes a special kind of person to reach such a milestone—you have to stay in the now,” Garrison said. “Everyone appreciates what they’ve done.”
The five team members credit their “success and dedication to learning from those who came before them and to the principles and practices that help everyone go home safe every day,” according to UP.
“They’re the leaders of our group in Albina,” Garrison said. “When anyone has questions, they go to them.”
Also recognized recently was UP Director-Dispatching Practices and Workforce Jason Elliott, who was honored with an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award “for exemplifying the railroad’s military-friendly workplace practices.”
