Republican House members urge caution by STB in review of UP-NS merger

WASHINGTON — Republican members of Congress today urged the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a thorough review of the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern — and to reject the deal if it does not meet the high standards set by the board’s merger rules set in 2001. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South […]

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Norfolk Southern ramps up operations at Alabama mine

Coal train on bridge in area surrounded by trees

WHITSON, Ala. — Norfolk Southern’s export metallurgical coal business is getting a significant boost with the completion of Warrior Met Coal’s Blue Creek Mine near Whitson, Ala., northwest of Birmingham. The $1 billion longwall mine and balloon loadout track has the ability to load up to 10 unit trains per week and produce up to […]

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Norfolk Southern network spurs more than $7.7 billion in development in 2025

Rednering of manufacturing campus

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern customers engaged in more than $7.7 billion in development for more than 60 new or expanded rail-served industries on NS and its shortline partners, the railroad said today (Monday, Feb. 2). While U.S. manufacturing saw mixed indicators in  2025, the railroad’s network continued to attract investment. NS has more than 500 […]

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Rail services affected as another winter storm hits southeast

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX said in an advisory to customers on Sunday, Feb. 1, that it was working to address issues created by a second major storm in as many weeks, this one having brought heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and flooding to portions of its network. Norfolk Southern issued a customer alert prior to the […]

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CN CEO says UP-NS merger application has a ‘long way to go’

MONTREAL — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have “a long way to go” to address issues with their merger application, Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson said during the company’s quarterly earnings call today (Friday, Jan. 30). “It is not at all clear that the transaction as proposed addresses many of the questions around the negative […]

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Intermodal competition weighs on Norfolk Southern’s quarterly earnings

ATLANTA — Heightened intermodal competition took a toll on Norfolk Southern’s volume, revenue, and profits in the fourth quarter. The 7% drop in intermodal volume drove a 4% decline in overall traffic as NS lost container business to rival CSX, which launched an intermodal alliance with BNSF Railway last summer. CEO Mark George said the […]

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Union Pacific plans to file revised Norfolk Southern merger application in March

Train passing under signal bridge

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific expects to file its revised Norfolk Southern merger application in March, CEO Jim Vena said on the railroad’s earnings call on Tuesday. The Surface Transportation Board on Jan. 16 rejected the railroads’ 6,692-page merger application as incomplete. The application, filed on Dec. 19, didn’t include enough information on post-merger market […]

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Seven Chicago-area suburbs join forces to address UP-NS merger

Freight train with yellow locomotives on curve

BERKELEY, Ill. — Seven suburban communities along Union Pacific’s east-west main line are organizing to pursue representation in the UP-Norfolk Southern merger proceedings. A memorandum to the president and board of the Village of Berkeley in Cook County says the community was contacted by the other six communities — Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and […]

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CSX, BNSF detail preparations for major winter storm (updated)

An orange BNSF Railway locomotive leads a train over a snow-covered multi-track main line.

CSX and BNSF Railway today outlined plans to deal with the operational challenges from a major winter storm that could affect large portions of both companies’ rail networks. Norfolk Southern also issued a customer advisory in which it said it was preparing for the storm, which is beginning to hit some areas today (Thursday, Jan. […]

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Norfolk Southern orders 40 Wabtec ES44AC locomotives

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has ordered 40 Wabtec ES44AC locomotives, its first purchase of new locomotives since 2022. Delivery from Wabtec’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, is expected in the second half of the year, NS said today. They will be sent to the NS locomotive shop in Chattanooga, Tenn., for final preparation for service. […]

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UP-NS merger filing omits billions in intermodal costs, analyst tells STB

Yellow locomotives lead container train in snowy landscape

WASHINGTON — The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application omits $2.69 billion in additional costs that intermodal marketers will incur if the railroads’ deal diverts the promised 2 million loads off the highway, according to an analysis submitted to federal regulators. The railroads’ traffic diversion projection is a key part of their case that the merger […]

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Two shipper groups voice support for STB decision on UP-NS merger application

Train rounds curve in late afternoon sunlight

WASHINGTON — Other railroads were not the only parties welcoming the Surface Transportation Board’s decision to reject the initial application for the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Shipper groups also voiced their approval. The board, citing three areas in which it said the almost 7,000-page application was incomplete, rejected the UP-NS application on Friday, Jan. 16 […]

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