(The following story by Gregory Richards appeared on The Virginian-Pilot on May 15.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. was awarded the rail industry’s top honor for employee safety on Wednesday for the 19th consecutive year.
The Norfolk-based railroad received the gold E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Award for its performance last year against other big U.S. railroads.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that every one of us returns home at night in the same good condition at which we arrived at work,” said Norfolk Southern spokesman Frank Brown. “The Harriman award is gratifying because it reflects progress toward that goal.”
The award was given by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute, whose directors include representatives from the Association of American Railroads and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Edward R. Hamberger, the railroad association’s president, said in a statement that the rates of train accidents and grade-crossing accidents were the lowest in history in 2007 and the employee injury rate was the second lowest.
Separately, four Hampton Roads short-line railroads recently won awards for safe operations last year from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Winning a Jake Award with Distinction for having no serious employee injuries were the Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad, Commonwealth Railway, Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad and the North Carolina & Virginia Railroad.