Norfolk Southern today appointed Brian Barr as chief operating officer.
Barr, who led the mechanical department at Atlanta-based NS (NYSE: NSC) since 2024, succeeds Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Orr. Orr will remain as a special advisor to the board chairman through June 2027 or the earlier closing of the proposed merger with Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP).
Operations are already under the microscope as federal regulators evaluate the historic transcontinental tie-up that will create a rail network with 53,000 miles of track in 43 states. The Surface Transportation Board this past week gave conditional approval of the revised merger application but asked for more information, to be submitted by July 27.
Barr, with almost three decades’ experience, oversees railway operations, including safety, transportation, network planning and operations, engineering and equipment maintenance at NS.
“Brian is the right leader for operations, bringing a strong commitment to safety, broad railroading expertise and a proven ability to build a fast, resilient network that earns customer trust every day,” said Chief Executive Mark George, in a release. “Brian’s career has given him a front row seat to every aspect of the operation and a deep understanding of the complexities of an eastern rail network. This gives him a unique vantage point to help take us to the next level to serve our customer demands.”
Barr’s appointment is effective today.
“We are grateful to John for his leadership and many contributions to our operations,”George said of Orr. “NS is better today because of John’s impactful tenure.”
Barr at CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) served in senior roles in network planning, operations, and engineering. At UP he was senior vice president, transportation. He started his career in 1998 as a craft dispatcher at Conrail.
Barr holds a business administration degree from Bellevue University and has completed the Executive Leadership Forum with Harvard Executive Education.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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