Norfolk Southern EVP and COO Paul Duncan On Workforce Initiatives

Norfolk Southern is justifiably proud of the partnership it has
forged with its craft unions. Executive Vice President and Chief
Operatiing Officer Paul Duncan discusses the improvements and
special programs that have been instituted at Norfolk Southern with
Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. Among these are
START (System Teamwork and Responsibility Training), and a training
and mentoring program for new conductors that matches experienced
railroaders with trainees. “We’ve got conductors that are more than
willing to help train new folks and are very good at it. We work
with our local chairman at the various locations where we’re
bringing on conductor trainees to ensure that we’re matching them
up with folks that match in personality traits as well as
leadership,” Duncan says. Podcast sponsored by The Greenbrier
Companies, which has teamed with Norfolk Southern to develop
sustainable, high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel gondolas
constructed of a lighter-weight steel that reduces unloaded weight
by up to 15,000 pounds.