Congressmen from Mississippi, Louisiana voice support for UP-NS merger

Train crossing bridge over canal

WASHINGTON — A trio of Southern Democratic congressmen have come out in favor of the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Calling rail freight “vital to our states and the country’s economy,” a letter from U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Troy Carter and Cleo Fields of Louisiana urged Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs to […]

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NS and CPKC are trying to iron out differences over Meridian Speedway

Map of eastern U.S. highlighting route between Meridian, Miss., and Shreveport, La.

WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern told federal regulators this week that it hopes to smooth over its dispute with Canadian Pacific Kansas City regarding operations over their joint Meridian Speedway. But NS also said it disagrees with nearly everything CPKC has told the Surface Transportation Board about service over the 302-mile corridor that runs from Meridian, […]

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National Railroad Hall of Fame announces 2025 inductees

Logo of the National Railroad Hall of Fame

GALESBURG, Ill. — Former Norfolk Southern CEO David Goode, 1880s Santa Fe President William Strong, and former Santa Fe CEO John Reed are the 2025 inductees to the National Railroad Hall of Fame, the Galesburg-based organization has announced. The honorees were selected by the Hall of Fame’s national Rail Industry Advisory Group from among nine […]

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Norfolk Southern to serve new $6 billion pharmaceutical plant in Alabama

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will serve a new $6 billion Eli Lilly and Co. manufacturing campus that the pharmaceutical company will build in Huntsville, Ala. The project, which was announced on Tuesday, is the largest single initial investment in Alabama history, Gov. Kay Ivey said. NS will provide carload service to the plant, which is […]

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Auto parts supplier ready to break ground on NS-served site in South Carolina

ATLANTA — An auto parts supplier will build a $120 million factory on a Norfolk Southern-served industrial development property in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, the railroad announced this week. The new SODECIA AAPICO Joint Venture plant will produce ladder frames for electric vehicle manufacturer Scout Motors. The 400,000-square-foot facility at the Tri-County Global Industrial Site […]

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Creel warns UP–NS merger is no ‘fait accompli’

Train with two locomotives and hopper cars on track parallelling street

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel disagrees with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena’s contention that the UP-Norfolk Southern merger will be a slam dunk in Washington. “I don’t think it’s a fait accompli. I do not,” Creel told an investor conference on Tuesday. “People are grossly underestimating the complexity of […]

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UP now expects to file NS merger application around Dec. 16

Freight train with two yellow locomotives passing under signal bridge

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern now expect to file their merger application with federal regulators around Dec. 16, two weeks later than they had originally hoped. UP CEO Jim Vena told an investor conference on Tuesday that one of the contractors working on a section of the application needed additional time […]

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Norfolk Southern and Amtrak team up with Toys for Tots for holiday train in New York

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, and the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation will team up on Dec. 13 for the 26th run of their Holiday Train over the former Delaware & Hudson between Binghamton and Delanson, N.Y. Since its inception, the Holiday Train partnership has collected hundreds of thousands of toys and […]

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CPKC disputes NS and UP complaints over Meridian Speedway service levels

Map of eastern U.S. highlighting route between Meridian, Miss., and Shreveport, La.

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has told federal regulators that Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific complaints about its train-length restrictions and handling of their intermodal trains on the Meridian Speedway have no merit. On Sept. 30, the eve of the federal government shutdown, NS and UP wrote separate letters to the Surface Transportation Board, […]

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Dozens of trade associations express concern over UP-NS merger

WASHINGTON — More than 60 trade associations have told federal regulators that they fear that Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern will raise rates, hurt service, and put too much traffic under control of a single railroad. “History has shown that increased rail consolidation leads to fewer choices, higher transportation costs, service […]

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Union Pacific, boilermakers union reach agreement guaranteeing jobs in event of UP-NS merger

Logo of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers have reached an agreement guaranteeing job security for union members if the UP-Norfolk Southern merger is approved, the fourth such agreement involving the railroad. It will cover current UP and NS workers at the time a merger occurs. “The Boilermakers union looks forward to […]

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