Norfolk Southern expands portfolio of certified rail-served industrial sites

Nine locations added to portfolio

Norfolk Southern continues to strengthen its industrial site development with the recent certification of nine additional rail-served properties in seven states through the Redi Sites program.

This brings the total number of NS Redi-certified sites to 12, showcasing the company’s commitment to providing prime locations for businesses seeking rail-integrated solutions.

The Redi Sites program, administered by the U.S.-based Site Selectors Guild, offers a standardized and rigorous evaluation process for site readiness across the United States. Launched in 2024, this program aims to simplify the site selection process for consultants and businesses by providing a comprehensive database of project-ready locations.

“These designations underscore Norfolk Southern’s (NYSE: NSC) dedication to making site selection easier for companies that can benefit from integrated rail solutions,” said Craig Hudson, group vice president of industrial development at Norfolk Southern, in a release. “Smart site development helps companies grow, and helps communities thrive. That’s the power of rail in the right place.”

The Redi Sites program assesses various critical factors, including infrastructure capacity, ease of development, ownership status and entitlements.

(Chart: Norfolk Southern)

Based on these criteria, sites receive one of five designations: platinum, gold, silver, bronze or emerging. This tiered system allows potential investors and developers to quickly identify locations that best suit their specific needs and project requirements.

Based in Atlanta, Norfolk Southern manages a portfolio of 700 rail-served industrial development properties across its network. 

This article was updated March 25 to correct the number of newly-certified sites to nine.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.