CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk
Southern today opened a new locomotive maintenance and repair
facility in Chicago to enhance
operational efficiency for trains moving through the nation's
largest rail hub.
The company's $9.5 million
investment expands Norfolk Southern's locomotive repair
capabilities in the Chicago
region. Previously, locomotives needing more extensive maintenance
were transported to other repair shops on the rail system. In
addition to the new facility, NS in Chicago operates a locomotive shop for minor
repairs at its Calumet Yard intermodal facility and mobile
rapid-response crews inspect and service outbound locomotives.
"The new facility is strategically located on Norfolk Southern's
primary rail line serving Chicago,
and it will allow NS to rapidly make repairs to locomotives moving
freight to our major terminals," said Don
Graab, Norfolk Southern vice president mechanical. "The
investment is part of NS' commitment to provide timely and reliable
service and will enable us to move goods even more efficiently
across the Chicago gateway and
benefit intermodal customers shipping freight to East Coast
markets."
The 16,300-square-foot shop, located at the railroad's
47th Street intermodal facility, is equipped with a
125-ton drop table to inspect, repair, or replace locomotive
traction motors; a mobile, 7.5–ton overhead gantry crane to hoist
heavy engine components; and a 77-foot-long inspection pit to make
repairs to the underside of locomotives. Four locomotives can be
worked on indoors at one time.
At full capacity, the shop will employ 25 craft workers around
the clock. Across the greater Chicago area, NS employs about 600 people in
all aspects of rail operations.
As the nation's largest rail center, Chicago plays a vital role in Norfolk
Southern's rail network. NS operates six rail yards in the city,
moving more than 100 trains daily to connect Chicago and Illinois businesses to markets throughout the
nation and world. In Illinois,
Norfolk Southern employs 1,450 people and operates a network of
1,256 rail miles.
About Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the
nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern
Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 19,500 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, automotive, and industrial
products.
Multimedia: View this video on the new Chicago locomotive shop.
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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation