XML 40 R29.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.21.2

Railway Operating Revenues - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2021 | Sep. 30, 2020 | Sep. 30, 2021 | Sep. 30, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2020
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Revenue, payment terms |  |  | 15 days |  |
Contract liabilities | $ 0 |  | $ 0 |  | $ 0
Contract assets | 0 |  | 0 |  | 0
Other Noncurrent Receivables |  |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable, net, noncurrent | $ 23,000,000 |  | $ 23,000,000 |  | $ 23,000,000
Accessorial Services |  |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Accessorial services percent of total railway operating revenues | 7.00% | 5.00% | 6.00% | 5.00% |

X
- Definition Ancillary Services Percent Of Total Railway Operating Revenues + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nsc_AncillaryServicesPercentOfTotalRailwayOperatingRevenues
Namespace Prefix: | nsc_
Data Type: | dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Revenue, Payment Terms + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nsc_RevenuePaymentTerms
Namespace Prefix: | nsc_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount, after allowance for credit loss, of right to consideration from customer for product sold and service rendered in normal course of business, classified as noncurrent. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(5)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(9)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(3)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124259787&loc=d3e4428-111522 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount, after allowance for credit loss, of right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123351226&loc=SL49130549-203045 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130531-203044 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130533-203044 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130531-203044 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123351226&loc=SL49130549-203045 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130532-203044 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiability
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DisaggregationOfRevenueLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=nsc_OtherNoncurrentReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=nsc_AncillaryServicesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |