WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Norfolk Southern and The Washington Post are convening leading thinkers in transportation, urban planning, and finance to discuss the problems and potential of the nation's railroads, highways, bridges, and transit systems.

The summit, titled "Fixing America's Foundation: Rebuilding Transportation Infrastructure," will take place Oct. 14 in Washington. It is part of the Washington Post Live series of forums on key issues. (Click here to register.)

Speakers are scheduled to include U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; U.S. Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and Senior Fellow Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mary Jordan, editor of Washington Post Live, which organizes political debates, conferences, and other news events, will moderate the day-long discussion.

"The nation's transportation infrastructure is at a tipping point," said Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern CEO. "We need to chart the way ahead with resolve, and with concrete, achievable plans. It's a critical discussion -- for every mode of transportation -- and the idea of bringing together top thinkers with broad perspectives is both timely and very useful."

Norfolk Southern also is a sponsor of the CG/LA Third Annual North American Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum, Oct. 11-13 in Washington, titled "Visualizing Competitiveness: What's Real? What's Not?" Darrell Wilson, NS assistant vice president government relations, will participate on panels discussing public-private partnerships.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.