SIMIC

NORFOLK Southern Railway has decided to reverse certain measures that were implemented over the past two years to expedite the flow of cargo, reports New York's Journal of Commerce.

This decision reflects the recognition that intermodal terminals now exhibit greater fluidity.



In a customer advisory, the railway announced its plans to reinstate two days of free time for shippers to collect import containers at inland hubs such as Baltimore, Charlotte, New Orleans, and terminals in Alabama and Pennsylvania, which are referred to as "Tier 2" facilities.



Additionally, Norfolk Southern Railway will reduce rail storage fees, also known as demurrage charges, when shippers fail to retrieve their containers within the allotted free time across all intermodal terminals.



These changes will go into effect on July 10.



During 2021 and 2022, Norfolk Southern implemented various restrictions in response to the surge in imports.



These measures included reducing the allowed free time and increasing demurrage penalties for cargo owners who did not promptly retrieve their ocean freight.



"We have restructured our storage programme to align with the current freight environment and market conditions," said NS vice president Shawn Tureman.



"This updated programme provides our partners and shippers with flexibility where we have capacity while still focusing on terminal fluidity."