Norfolk Southern Corporation and Florida East Coast Railway announced an expansion of their international and domestic interline services. The Florida Express service, which is already being leveraged by anchor customer, Crowley, creates a two-way transportation solution for customers moving goods between South Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina.
“We are focused on providing reliable service and generating smart, sustainable growth opportunities for our customers,” said Norfolk Southern Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins. “This new, two-way transportation solution between Western North Carolina and South Florida accomplishes both goals, and we look forward to helping our domestic and international customers unlock the value of this service.”
The new service offering builds upon the strong partnership between the two railroads, which continues to allow customers to unlock new supply chain pathways. The partnership relies on a steel wheel interchange in Jacksonville, operating in both directions and expanding services for customers accessing global markets through South Florida.
“For us in FEC, reaching additional markets and providing customers with options to ship into the primary markets in Florida is key to our development,” said Luis Hernandez, VP Intermodal for FEC. “We are committed to providing a fast, reliable and top of class service into the ports and partnering with Norfolk Southern provides a consistent and most efficient solution.”
Crowley, a US-based logistics, marine, and energy solutions company, will engage the Florida Express to help customers in the US, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin expand their options to move textile goods to and from Charlotte for garment and apparel manufacturing. North Carolina currently leads the nation with nearly 20 percent of all US textile exports, the largest textile mill industry, and more than 395 textile manufacturers.
“Through Florida Express, textile industry customers can receive enhanced supply chain efficiency, connecting our growing Central America market with US manufacturing centers such as North Carolina,” said Crowley’s Vice President, North American Transportation Bob Weist. “Coupled with our regular ocean transportation service in South Florida, the industry will benefit with even more options to ensure fast, reliable solutions.”
In the future, the Florida Express will accommodate customers moving goods like produce, poultry, and other commodities in the agriculture industry. Customers seeking to learn more can contact Norfolk Southern Intermodal where dedicated marketing representatives will help them take full advantage of the company’s expanded service portfolio.
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. It operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. It delivers more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and Norfolk Southern originates more automotive traffic than any other Class I Railroad. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as to major ports in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.
Florida East Coast Railway, a wholly owned subsidiary of GMXT, is a Class II regional railroad that owns mainline track from Jacksonville, FL, down to Miami. It is the exclusive rail provider for Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port of Palm Beach. FEC Railway connects to the national railway system in Jacksonville and serves a variety of facilities in Florida, including the largest aggregate quarries in the state located in Medley, as well as several transloading facilities to supply Florida’s fast-growing economy. Based in Jacksonville, FEC provides end-to-end intermodal and carload solutions to customers who demand cost-effective and premium quality transportation solutions.
