Blue Streak

Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific now offer the shortest, fastest and most reliable route between Los Angeles and the Southeast. Earlier this year, completion of key capital investments along the line between Shreveport and Meridian allowed the shift of Domestic interline traffic to this new route. Service has been excellent along this corridor, and additional planned improvements will continue to enhance this better than truck service in the coming months. To demonstrate our confidence in this route, NS and UP are offering an On Time or Free Guarantee on the BlueStreak SuperFlyer service between the Southeast and Los Angeles. 

Blue Streak Schedules
Blue Streak Service Matrix

Blue Streak Terms and Conditions

Norfolk Southern’s Blue Streak® offers expedited Intermodal service and three tiers of service to meet your transportation needs; SuperFlyer or Expedited Plus, Expedited, and Standard. Blue Streak's reliability, combined with the economies of rail, make this service an attractive alternative to premium-priced truck. Our SuperFlyer service offering is designed to compete directly with motor carriers; moves greater than 500 miles per day.

Blue Streak is a rail product that offers you truck-like transit without the higher cost. The SuperFlyer and Expedited Plus service offerings have the following attributes:

• Guaranteed equipment availability and condition
• Schedule with best cut-off times and availability
• Proactive shipment monitoring

Rail economics allow us to offer SuperFlyer service at rates competitive to truck with service consistency that rivals single driver long haul transit. Intermodal service is offered through our distributor network of Truckload Carriers and  Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs).  If you don't currently have a relationship with an IMC or Truckload Carrier, feel free to call us at 540-985-6322 and we'll get you started moving intermodal today.
Our EMP Containers come in both 48 and 53 foot configurations with the 53' also available in a hi-cube. You will not need to reconfigure your current loading patterns to ship your product with us. SuperFlyer and Expedited Plus service with its pool of pre-inspected equipment ensures that your shipment is safe from weather conditions and equipment breakdowns.

SuperFlyer Service Definition

Truck-like service without any additional headaches for less than you would pay for a full service truck shipment! Here is how it works:
As a shipper, you make the decision to transition from traditional truck mode to Intermodal. You get a savings based on superior rail economics derived from a number of factors:

• Railroads can leverage the length of a train. With up to 200 loads on board we don't need 200 drivers - just one.
• SuperFlyer utilizes a pool of quality equipment that is balanced across the nation. You're not paying for us to reposition our equipment.

Service Guarantee

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are offering a money-back guarantee service for Blue Streak shipments between Los Angeles - Southeast for a limited time beginning September 10, 2007.  In the event a load is made available after the published schedule, customers must notify UP by sending a Blue Streak Claim Form (Found on the Union Pacific Website/User ID and password required) within fourteen (14) days of the loads late availability.  If a load is verified to be late the linehaul rate will be adjusted as follows:

• SuperFlyer: If we miss schedule, rail line haul will be free.
• Expedited:  If we miss schedule, adjust linehaul from Expedited to FAK (Standard) rate level.

Load availability is defined as the time the load is placed at the Intermodal ramp.

EMP Equipment Guarantee 

When using SuperFlyer on shipments originating on Norfolk Southern, equipment assurances and guarantees are governed as follows: Customers at Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, and Miami have the option of an equipment guarantee. If the NS Manager of Market Development is notified 2 days in advance or more of the date that a reasonable quantity of containers will be needed, NS will ensure containers are available for SuperFlyer use. Contact the NS Manager of Market Development via email at casprake@nscorp.com or by phone at 540-985-6322 and tell them you want a SuperFlyer Guarantee, the location and date for which you want the reservations, and the number of reservations needed for that date.  Please note, we will only be able to Guarantee 53ft Equipment (EMHU’s). NS may have limits at each terminal as to the quantity that can be reserved with the SuperFlyer guarantee. If you need more than containers than the limits allow, NS will attempt to ensure availability of units in excess of the limits, but will not be subject to the Guarantee provisions for those units.

Priority Access and Space

SuperFlyer provides you the highest degree of flexibility of any railroad product. Your shipment can leave your dock later and arrive earlier than other rail products because we allow extra time just for you at our Intermodal terminals. SuperFlyer shipments can be the last in the gate before the train leaves and it will have it's reserved place waiting. SuperFlyer shipments will also be the first out when they arrive at our destination terminal.

Proactive Customer Service

Finally, SuperFlyer receives preferential treatment from our Customer Service Center. We proactively monitor your shipment.

Don't need that level of service? We offer other levels to satisfy your specific shipment requirements. Contact your NS Sales Representative to find out how we can best meet your needs.

SuperFlyer

• Service guarantee offered in select lanes (Los Angeles - Southeast)
• Super Premium cutoff time and availability
• Priority access on Premium train (protected departure time and reserved slot)
• Proactive service monitoring
• Other special requirements subject to negotiation
• Guaranteed reservations for EMP equipment
• Transit time greater than 500 miles per day

Expedited Plus

• Super Premium cutoff time and availability
• Priority access on Premium train (protected departure time and reserved slot)
• Proactive service monitoring
• Other special requirements subject to negotiation
• Guaranteed reservations for EMP equipment

Expedited

• Service guarantee offered in select lanes (Los Angeles - Southeast)
• Priority access on the train
• Improved schedule with more favorable cutoff and availability times
• Proactive service monitoring, if your freight is running behind, we keep you informed of its status

Standard

• Subject to next-day rolling
• Standard commitments
• Normal customer service