# Norfolk Southern intermodal storage: the Intermodal Rules Circular

Norfolk Southern publishes its Intermodal Rules Circular on its Rules, Terms, Conditions and Tariffs page. Section 7 covers free time and storage charges, with notification, free time, storage charges and exceptions. We link it and do not copy numbers; rail is not in our calculator.


## What NS publishes

The [Rules, Terms, Conditions, and Tariffs](https://www.norfolksouthern.com/en/ship-by-rail/shipping-tools/terms-conditions) page links the Intermodal Rules Circular; on 2026-10-21 the file is named "Revised July 23rd 2025". Its contents list a Section 7, "Free Time and Storage Charges", with 7.1 Notification, Free Time, Storage Charges and 7.2 Exceptions to Standard Free Time and Storage Terms. The same page links accessorial service tariffs, which include storage for carload traffic.

The circular treats storage billed by NS separately from demurrage on its EMP and TMX container units, which it says is billed by Blume Global. Read both sections if your box is one of those units.

## Using it

Ask for the notification date and compare with the invoice. Rail storage starts from NS's notification, not ocean discharge, so it is not the [ocean last free day](/en/demurrage/last-free-day/). Rail is not in our calculator yet; see [rail storage vs ocean demurrage](/en/demurrage/rail/).



## Sources

- [Norfolk Southern: Rules, Terms, Conditions, and Tariffs](https://www.norfolksouthern.com/en/ship-by-rail/shipping-tools/terms-conditions)
- [Norfolk Southern Intermodal Rules Circular (PDF linked from that page)](https://www.norfolksouthern.com/content/dam/nscorp/pdf/intermodal-rules-circular/Intermodal%20Rules%20Circular%20Revised%20July%2023rd%202025.pdf)

Canonical: https://purserhouse.com/en/demurrage/rail/ns/