Norfolk Southern Unveils Advanced Wheel Integrity System

Published: February 21, 2026

Atlanta, GA — February 2026 — In a bid to further strengthen rail safety and defect detection, Norfolk Southern Railway has introduced a cutting-edge Wheel Integrity System, marking what the Class I carrier calls a significant breakthrough in predictive safety technology.

The system, developed jointly by Norfolk Southern’s internal teams — including Digital & Technology, Operations, and Mechanical — with support from the Georgia Tech Research Institute, uses artificial intelligence (AI) and high-resolution imaging to detect wheel cracks and other defects before they lead to serious failures or potential derailments. Its deployment builds on the railroad’s existing Digital Train Inspection (DTI) infrastructure that has already identified thousands of potential safety issues across the network.

The Wheel Integrity System features six synchronized cameras positioned to capture up to 55 ultra-high-resolution images per wheel as trains pass at speeds up to 70 mph. These images are then analyzed by sophisticated AI algorithms designed to distinguish between harmless debris and actual structural flaws.

Unlike broader inspection portals that scan entire rail cars, the new system focuses specifically on wheels — widely recognized in the industry as one of the most critical components affecting safety and reliability. Rail industry experts note that wheel failures have historically been a root cause of some major derailments, including incidents that spurred industry-wide calls for improved monitoring.

The first installation of the Wheel Integrity System went live on November 24, 2025, at Burns Harbor, Indiana — a key gateway for freight entering and exiting the Chicago region — and has already delivered tangible results. Norfolk Southern reports the system successfully identified a cracked wheel supplied from an outside vendor, leading to the immediate removal of the wheel from service and prompting an industry-wide recall of suspect components.

Railway officials say the detection not only prevented a potentially serious mechanical failure but also demonstrated the technology’s ability to support root-cause investigations that can benefit the broader industry.

With the initial installation proving effective, Norfolk Southern plans to expand the Wheel Integrity System to additional locations across its nearly 22-state network throughout 2026. Company leaders say the system will complement other digital inspection technologies, such as AI-enhanced portals and automated track geometry measurement systems, which together form a multilayered safety strategy.

“This is a railroad-designed solution for a railroad problem,” said Brian Yeager, Senior Director of Mechanical Operations & Support at Norfolk Southern. “We’re the first to deploy a vision-based system that identifies cracks before they break, and we did it with our own technology and talent.”

The initiative fits within a broader effort by Norfolk Southern to reduce accidents and enhance safety performance across its network — a priority underscored by the company’s recent safety performance metrics showing year-over-year improvements in defect detection and derailment rates.

Industry observers say the adoption of AI-driven inspection technologies could be a game-changer for freight railroads, helping to minimize disruptions, protect assets, and — most importantly — mitigate risk to communities and workers before defects lead to catastrophic events. To watch Norfolk Southern's video illustrating this sytem please click here.

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