Norfolk Southern accused of delaying Amtrak passenger trains

US authorities accused Norfolk Southern Corp. of causing repeated delays of Amtrak passenger trains along a lengthy route spanning New York City to New Orleans.

The railroad has routinely given freight trains preference over passenger trains along a 1,140-mile stretch of the Crescent Route, a violation of federal law, the Justice Department said in a civil complaint Tuesday. The agency cited examples including Norfolk forcing an Amtrak train to wait over an hour while three separate freight trains passed.

“Americans should not experience travel delays because rail carriers break the law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Only 24% of southbound Crescent Route trains arrived at their destination on time last year, according to the complaint, which was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Norfolk Southern said in a separate statement that it intends to resolve the concerns, saying it has a “collaborative relationship with Amtrak and our state partners.”

“We are committed to complying with the law, working together and honoring our commitments,” the company said. “Over the past several months with Amtrak, we have focused on the on-time performance of the Crescent passenger train.”

The Crescent Route is a 1,377-mile passenger line operated by Amtrak that stops at 33 towns and cities between New York City and New Orleans. Norfolk Southern controls a substantial portion of the track, handling dispatching for all trains along that segment, including freight trains it operates. Approximately 266,000 passengers traveled on the Crescent Route during 2023. 

The complaint comes as Norfolk is showing signs of improvement under Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw, reporting rising revenue for the first time in five quarters. Its operating ratio also improved in its second-quarter results earlier this month.