Norfolk Southern Invests in Automated Inspection Systems to Enhance Railroad Safety

New High-speed AI-enabled Inspection Systems to Capture Hundreds of Images per Rail Car, Spotting Safety Defects More Accurately; First Installed in Ohio Close to Major Derailment Site.

• Norfolk Southern has deployed the first of over a dozen automated inspection systems on its tracks in Ohio; these are near the site of a major derailment that occurred in February 2023.
• The automated systems, developed in partnership with Georgia Tech, use high-speed cameras and AI algorithms to capture hundreds of images of each passing rail car from all angles, allowing for accurate detection of safety defects.
• The technology has the potential to identify defects more effectively than human inspections, particularly on moving trains; however, it is not intended to completely replace human inspection crew.
• By the end of 2024, Norfolk Southern plans to have at least twelve of these systems installed across its 22-state network in the east.
• The new inspection system is reported to have a high success rate in finding defects with a low number of false alarms and is anticipated to enhance safety and prevent accidents like the East Palestine derailment.

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