Wabtec Receives Norfolk Southern Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Award

Sustainability Award│Wabtec Corporation

ATLANTA, January 17, 2023 -- Wabtec received the Innovation prize at Norfolk Southern’s inaugural Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Awards for its modernization program. The Innovation award recognizes sustainability programs that are novel, relevant, and impactful. Our modernization program with Norfolk Southern converts 20+ year-old DC Dash 9 locomotives to AC power and upgrades them with the latest technologies enabling them to run more efficiently for another 20+ years. 

Sustainability Award│Wabtec Corporation

Pascal Schweitzer, President, Global Freight Services for Wabtec, and Ross Parisi, Key Account Manager for Norfolk Southern, accepted the award on behalf of Wabtec. Pascal said, “This award highlights the strategic role our locomotive modernization program plays in helping rail customers reach their ambitious emissions-reduction and sustainability goals. Norfolk Southern continues to be an industry leader in modernizing their locomotive fleet and was Wabtec’s first mods’ customer. I am proud of the partnership we have built together.”  

Wabtec’s modernization program for Norfolk Southern offers a blueprint for achieving major sustainability gains across the railway industry, including:

  • An up to 25% increase in locomotive fuel efficiency, leading to a direct reduction in carbon emissions of ~500 metric tons annually per locomotive.
  • An up to 50% increase in haulage capacity, which translates into pulling more freight with fewer assets. 
  • A more than 40% improvement in locomotive reliability, which improves asset utilization, network fluidity, and operating costs.
  • The recycling of up to 50% of locomotive materials, reducing CO2 emissions by ~183 metric tons vs. buying “new.” 

“Modernizing locomotives in our fleet will improve operational performance and reliability,” said Tom Schnautz, Vice President of Advanced Train Control at Norfolk Southern. “Importantly, these mods will also help us achieve our science-based target of a 42% reduction in emissions intensity by 2034. Wabtec’s proven modernization program allows us to maximize the value of our locomotives, minimize the use of new materials, and reduce the environmental impact of our operations.”