Norfolk Southern Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Thoroughbred Retirement Investment Plan of Norfolk Southern Corporation and Participating Subsidiary Companies
Atlanta, GAManagement of Companies12,070 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$282Employer $ per active participant
$4,231Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.0BNet plan assets, end of year
$84,408Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity7.2 / 5014th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.2 / 2541th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.7 / 1545th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: all industries, plans with 10,000+ active participants (fewer than 30 industry peers) (820 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 14th |
| Lower admin cost | 41th |
| Employee saving | 45th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 50% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Norfolk Southern put in about $282 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,229). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $3,400,226 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $51,063,191 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $169,259 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,089,675 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $701,613 |
| Other admin expenses | $11,900 |
| Benefits paid out | $70,739,041 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $960.4M / $1.0B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,078 / 12,062 |
| Participants with account balances | 12,416 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | KPMG LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $701,613 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $340,654 reported compensation |
| Qdro Consultants Co LLC | $11,900 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250627171334NAL0005436435001, received 2025-06-27, EIN 52-1188014, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.