NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern and the Port of Virginia have launched a RailGreen Corridor that offers intermodal customers a verified way to reduce supply chain emissions.
NS provides daily intermodal service in the corridor linking Norfolk Harbor with the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) in Front Royal, Va. Freight moving along this lane is now eligible for RailGreen, a program that lets shippers purchase carbon reduction certificates tied to the use of low-carbon biofuels in locomotives, the railroad and port said today.
Shippers who participate in the program will receive environmental attribute certificates that quantify their emission reductions. The revenue from certificate sales will allow NS to buy additional low-carbon biofuel, creating a closed loop that aims to continually lower rail transport emissions.
“Rail is already the most sustainable way to transport goods over land, and we’re not resting on that advantage,” NS Chief Commercial Officer Ed Elkins said in a statement. “By working with The Port of Virginia, we’ve created a green-shipping solution for customers transporting goods to and from the coast.”
The Port of Virginia, which has been recognized as the East Coast’s cleanest-operating port with terminals powered by 100% clean energy, sees the initiative as an extension of its broader sustainability goals.
“The goal is to provide cargo owners options,” said Virginia Port Authority CEO Stephen A. Edwards said in a statement. “With more and more cargo owners emphasizing their interest in modern, cleaner supply chains, this effort goes right to that point.”
RailGreen supports shippers’ efforts to address Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions from supply chains that are often the most difficult to measure and reduce. The program aligns with industry demands for transparency, third-party validation, and traceable environmental impact.
The RailGreen Corridor marks a first for the U.S. rail and port industry, combining clean terminal operations, biofuel-powered rail, and verified emissions tracking, the railroad and port said.
