breaking

Norfolk Southern Balances Service Recovery With Union Pacific Merger Pursuit

Norfolk Southern's chief executive said the railroad can simultaneously manage operational improvements and advance its proposed merger with Union Pacific.

Mark George acknowledged the carrier's recent service shortfalls, citing crew constraints and volume pressures following February weather disruptions and a March derailment that idled its main Pennsylvania route for two days.

Intermodal shipments maintained on-time performance above 95%, but roughly one-third of merchandise loads arrived more than 24 hours behind schedule last week. Terminal dwell has increased while train speeds declined.

Operations improved temporarily after Memorial Day volume seasonality, but gains eroded over the subsequent two weeks, according to service metrics.

George said new Chief Operating Officer Brian Barr and his team are implementing targeted actions to stabilize performance and strengthen network resilience. The company remains focused on improving service consistency and customer communication.