Norfolk Southern community grants boost safety and resilience

Norfolk Southern community grants are helping make towns along the railroad’s 22-state network safer, stronger and more resilient, with more than $6.1 million awarded in 2025 to local partners.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

How Norfolk Southern community grants work?

Every day, the railroad runs through hundreds of hometowns, tying residents to jobs and local economies. Through the Thriving Communities grant program and the Safety First grant program, Norfolk Southern supports 402 organizations in 219 cities across Norfolk Southern railroad network communities in 22 states. These two annual grant programs are a core way the company gives back to the places where its employees, customers and neighbors live and work.

Don’t miss…BNSF calls for UP-SP merger review amid UP-NS deal

Launched in 2023, the Thriving Communities and Safety First grant programs are designed to support the people and places connected by the railroad’s 22-state network. Since their launch, they have provided more than $17 million in funding. This support follows four community impact pillars — safety, sustainability, workforce development and thriving communities — and is aimed at advancing opportunity, resilience and quality of life in local communities.

Within this framework, each program has a clearly defined emphasis. In 2025, the Thriving Communities grant program committed more than $4.5 million to initiatives that promote sustainability, housing stability and overall community well-being. Over the same period, the Safety First grant program invested over $1.6 million in projects that enhance emergency preparedness and public safety. These Norfolk Southern community grants translate into very concrete local gains, from better-equipped first responders to stronger career pathways and greater stability for families. Additional examples of how Norfolk Southern community grants are used can be found in coverage by Railway Supply.

Thriving Communities and Safety First grant programs in action

The impact of these grants is visible in a range of projects across the network. In Atlanta, a Thriving Communities grant is helping City of Refuge provide shelter, meals and life-building support for residents facing housing insecurity. This work builds on an ongoing partnership between the organization and Norfolk Southern; earlier this year, the two came together to open a new Welding Training Center to expand workforce opportunities.

In Birmingham, Children’s of Alabama is using Thriving Communities funding to expand critical care capacity and simulation-based training. The goal is to bring lifesaving care closer to home for more children across Alabama, strengthening local health outcomes while reducing the need for families to travel long distances.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank offers another illustration. A $40,000 Thriving Communities grant has already delivered more than 30,000 meals to families facing hunger in the food bank’s 11-county service area. In addition, Norfolk Southern recently provided a $30,000 holiday donation and is hosting a community event at the food bank on December 6, where meal kits and winter essentials will be given away to local residents.

Safety First funding is also driving tangible improvements. In Chicago, a Safety First grant to the Chicago Police Foundation is supporting tools such as drones and vehicles to help deter theft and strengthen community safety citywide. In Cleveland, Thriving Communities funding is enabling Front Steps to expand wraparound care for people experiencing homelessness. A 2024 grant also helped grow the nonprofit’s Basic Job Training Program, supporting stronger career pathways for those it serves.

Norfolk Southern leadership underscores that these efforts are meant to reinforce and amplify the work of local partners. Kristin Wong, Director, NS Foundation and Community Impact, notes that the company is committed to supporting organizations that strengthen the communities it serves by advancing safety, building opportunity and creating lasting resilience for customers, employees and neighbors across the network.

2026 grant applications and what’s next

Looking ahead, the next round of funding is on the horizon: 2026 grant applications will open in February. Organizations that want to learn more about Norfolk Southern’s grant programs or take part in the next cycle of Norfolk Southern community grants can visit the company’s Grant Programs page for details on eligibility and timelines.

The story is authored by Chad Previch, who leads external communications for Norfolk Southern in the areas of Sustainability, Community Impact and Technology. He also manages messaging related to the company’s Government Relations and Investor Relations priorities. Previch joined Norfolk Southern in 2025, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in public relations and corporate communications to the role.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Find the latest news of the railway industry in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world on our page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, read Railway Supply magazine online.

Place your ads on webportal and in Railway Supply magazine. Detailed information is in Railway Supply media kit