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9/10/2025
Norfolk Southern Railway has agreed to give Amtrak trains "highest priority" over freight trains on NS track along the passenger railroad's Crescent route, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced yesterday.
NS agreed in a settlement to resolve allegations that the Class I delayed Amtrak passenger trains on Amtrak’s Crescent Route in violation of federal law by failing to give Amtrak trains preference over freight trains. As a result of the settlement, the department has moved to dismiss its lawsuit against NS, DOJ officials said in a press release.
The DOJ sued NS in July 2024 for allegedly delaying passenger trains on Amtrak's Crescent route, which runs between New York City and New Orleans. NS controls 1,140 miles of the 1,377-mile route.
As part of the settlement, NS agreed to provide all Amtrak trains the highest priority; instruct its employees to give priority to Amtrak trains; require supervisor approval for any dispatching decision that does not give priority to Amtrak trains in non-emergency situations; and provide records regarding delays that Amtrak trains undergo while traveling on the Crescent Route controlled by NS.
NS has also pledged to assist the DOJ in determining the root cause of any delays to Amtrak Crescent Route trains. NS's vice president of compliance will certify annually that NS is in compliance with the agreement and its obligations under the law to provide Amtrak trains preference, DOJ officials said.
Crescent route trains stop at 33 cities and towns connecting rural areas in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. About 304,000 passengers traveled on the Crescent route in 2024 and year-over-year ridership has increased so far in 2025, DOJ officials said.
"Amtrak appreciates the U.S. Department of Justice’s pursuit of this case and its efforts to reach a productive resolution with Norfolk Southern. Since the case was filed, Amtrak’s performance on NS-hosted routes has shown measurable improvement," Amtrak officials said in a prepared statement.
On the Crescent route alone, NS-related delays are down 34% year-over-year, with freight train interference (FTI) reduced by 53%, according to Amtrak. Across all NS-hosted routes, delays decreased 26% and FTI dropped 42% year-over-year. Ridership on these routes also rose by 2%.