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6/13/2025
Norfolk Southern Railway is preparing for an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, and has shared its strategy for keeping its network on track before, during and after a storm hits.
Before a storm lands, NS keeps tabs on storms near its 19,500-mile rail network through a partnership with AccuWeather. Crews, equipment and response materials are positioned ahead of time to make response time quicker, NS officials said in an online "Story Yard" article.
During a storm, NS ensures customers are informed about network conditions and service disruptions through its NS Service Alert network, as well as through direct communication with customers about reroutes or outages.
Once the storm has cleared, NS mobilizes its response teams to assess any damage, reroute trains if necessary, and restore service as quickly as possible, NS officials said. Operations and network planning teams hold regular meetings to keep everyone updated on recovery plans, while also working closely with federal, state and local officials.
Mainlines are the first priority. For example, after Hurricane Helene caused historic flooding, NS was able to open all core routes in the region within 72 hours of the storm clearing by deploying over 400 generators and fixing washed up tracks. After initial repairs, teams continued to help local economies rebound. For example, freight-rail service retuned to Asheville, North Carolina, in May 2025, for the first time since it was knocked out due to Hurricane Helene in September 2024.