Norfolk Southern will furlough some mechanical department employees

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
image description
David C. Lester

Norfolk Southern announced yesterday that it plans employee furloughs in the mechanical department. This action continues the trend of shrinking employment on Class 1 and other railroads due primarily to the implementation of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) and the effects of the pandemic on the economy. RT&S reached out to Norfolk Southern for information and received the following statement:

“Norfolk Southern informed employees of furloughs within our mechanical department that are needed to align our operations with the current economy. We know furloughs are always hard for impacted employees and even harder around the holidays. We are working to provide an extended notice period for impacted employees. NS appreciates the hard work and commitment of all the men and women on the Thoroughbred Team, which makes these decisions particularly difficult.

“These actions will be spread across multiple locations. Furloughed employees may have the opportunity to apply for positions, as available, elsewhere on the NS system.”

No specific details about the furloughs were offered.

Tags: , , ,

Media