Norfolk Southern Corporations and Schneider National, Inc., a provider of multimodal transportation services, announced they had reached a strategic agreement on their expertise, assets and capabilities to expand Norfolk Southern’s eastern U.S. rail network.
Using Schneider’s 35 years of intermodal expertise, as well as its professional drivers, company-owned tractors, nearly 24,000 chassis and 26,800 containers and more than 60 North American intermodal rail hubs, the two companies will be able to expand Norfolk Southern’s intermodal network and ongoing infrastructure investments. Norfolk Southern said the expansion would give its customers a more scalable alternative to over-the-road transportation with improved efficiency, flexible capacity and greater supply chain resilience.
“Schneider’s Intermodal network is built on a strong asset-based foundation that gives customers the control, consistency and reliability they depend on,” Michael Baumgardt, exec. VP of Intermodal and Logistics at Schneider, said. “As we transition our primary eastern rail provider to Norfolk Southern, we’ll expand access to key markets, increase network flexibility and create new opportunities to better serve our customers. It will strengthen Schneider’s competitive position and enhance the reliable service experience our customers expect.”
The partnership comes at a time when demand for intermodal solutions continues to build, the companies said. Norfolk Southern said its intermodal volumes grew by 3 percent in the third quarter of 2026, supported by steady consumer demand, favorable truck-market dynamics and network improvements.
“Customers are taking a broader view of intermodal than ever before, and we are investing ahead of that demand,” Ed Elkins, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at Norfolk Southern, said. “By combining Norfolk Southern’s network reach, as well as our terminal investments and capacity, with Schneider’s proven logistics expertise, owned equipment and customer relationships, we are creating new opportunities to move freight across North America and make rail a stronger part of the domestic supply chain.”