
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 17, 1993                   TAG: 9311170025
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NS INTENDS `RELENTLESS' IMPROVEMENT

Norfolk Southern Corp. has an enviable financial record, but it intends to do even better, Chairman David Goode told an investment conference Tuesday.

Goode, speaking at the Salomon Brothers Transportation Conference in New York, said NS is going to manage closely its $11 billion in assets so it won't have to add to them.

That way the company can be more competitive and make more money, he said.

Goode said NS will do more sharing of track and railcars with other railroads and also will continue to get rid of marginally productive lines.

NS abandoned or sold 350 miles of track this year. Goode said the company is reviewing 2,500 miles of track to determine its best use or to decide whether some of it also needs to be eliminated from the NS system.

Goode said he thinks that sometimes the investment community sees less room for improvement of Norfolk Southern than for other transportation companies.

"That, however, would be a misunderstanding of our culture, which is relentless in the pursuit of improvement," he said.

by CNB