NS to close Roanoke office, relocate functions

Norfolk Southern said it will close its Roanoke, Va. office later this year and relocate the functions therein to either Atlanta or Norfolk, Va.    Norfolk Southern said it will close its Roanoke, Va. office later this year and relocate the functions at the site to either Atlanta or Norfolk, Va. 
   About 500 people in marketing, accounting, information technology and other departments at Roanoke will be affected by the closure. Employees will have the option to relocate with their positions, the railroad said in a statement.
   Norfolk Southern said it’s in the final process of evaluating which positions will be relocated to its corporate headquarters in Norfolk, or its operational headquarters in Atlanta. “Some regionally oriented positions will remain in Roanoke but will move to other work locations in the area,” the railroad said.
   “This will not involve any involuntary force reductions, and we will provide substantial relocation packages for those who choose to relocate,” said James A. Squires, Norfolk Southern president.
   Roanoke will remain the headquarters for Norfolk Southern’s Virginia Division, and the company will continue operating a local switching yard and locomotive and car maintenance facilities at Shaffer’s Crossing, and a locomotive overhaul and rebuilding facility in its East End Shops. About 1,700 people currently work for Norfolk Southern in Roanoke.
   The Roanoke office building was built in 1992 and consists of more than 203,000 square feet of office space. The sale of the building will be determined at a later time, the railroad said.