It’s all aboard at Norfolk Southern Co. for a new chief digital officer.

The company has been in business since 1827 and delivers more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods. Norfolk Southern has named Anil Bhatt as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer.

He will report to Norfolk Southern president and CEO Alan Shaw.

New Norfolk Southern chief digital officer

Bhatt joins Norfolk Southern effective Aug. 19. He joins the company from Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), a Fortune 25 health care company, where he most recently served as global chief information officer.

His 28 years of technology expertise also includes experience with IAC Inc. and Procter & Gamble. Bhatt graduated in computer science and engineering from the BSF Institute of Technology & Science.

At Norfolk Southern, Bhatt will focus on technology for advanced safety and operational excellence using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered dispatch tools and customizable application programming interfaces (APIs). He also plans to use applications and railcar sensors to deliver Norfolk Southern customers real-time data for greater visibility of shipments and logistics control.

“Anil has a successful record and reputation for working across teams to deploy technology that will advance the execution of our balanced strategy of service, productivity and growth, with safety at its core,” Shaw says.

The rail operator’s network spans 19,500 route miles across 22 states and Washington, D.C. Norfolk Southern posted annual revenue for 2023 of $12.15 billion, a 4.62% decline from $12.74 billion in 2022.

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