Railroad Companies
There are two major railroad companies in Hampton Roads, which have a duopoly on rail transportation in the region.
CSX
CSX Transportation (CSX) is a Class I freight railroad company operating across the eastern U.S., especially in and out of West Virginia.[1] The company was formed through a wave of railroad mergers, with its parent company, CSX Corporation, now based in Jacksonville, Florida. CXS political contributions are posted on their website as of 2025.
CSX is one part of a duopoly with Norfolk Southern. In 2018, CSX attempted to press monopoly charges against Norfolk Southern because of their attempts to control the crucial Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line, of which Norfolk Southern owns a slight majority.[2][3]
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Corporation (abbreviated as Norfolk Southern or NS) is a Class I freight railroad company based in the eastern U.S. It is one of the five biggest railroad operators in North America by revenue and one part of a duopoly with CSX. Norfolk Southern operates in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Norfolk Southern was based in Norfolk, Virginia until 2021. Most of the company's revenue comes from the transportation of coal, coke, and iron ore. Norfolk Southern is connected to the Corporation Political Action Committee (PAC) Norfolk Southern Good Government Fund, which publishes their political contributions bi-yearly as of 2025.
Norfolk Southern was responsible for a high-profile train derailment, fire, and chemical release of toxic pollutants that included dioxin in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, 2023.[4] In March 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board announced a special investigation into Norfolk Southern's safety practices, as the accident in East Palestine was just one of a series of recent incidents involving the company.[5]
Merger with Union Pacific
In July 2025, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific announced their deal to merge, creating the first American transcontinental railroad: the Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad.[6]
The deal must first be reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), with the companies aiming to close by early 2027. The Surface Transportation Board, the regulator that approves rail mergers, can require that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern take actions aimed at limiting their influence, like giving competitors the right to run trains on their merged network.[7]
References
- ↑ CSX, CSX System Map, 2025.
- ↑ Wilner, For Competing Railroads, What’s New Is Old, Railway Age, Commentary, March 11, 2025.
- ↑ McCabe, CSX Sues Norfolk Southern, Short-Line Railroad Over Alleged Monopoly, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot, October 9, 2018.
- ↑ Pilcher, EPA Turns to Legal Orders to Force Norfolk Southern to Clean Up after Train Derailment, WKRC, February 21, 2023.
- ↑ Jackson, NTSB Investigating Norfolk Southern Safety Practices After Series of Train Accidents, AboutLawsuits, March 28, 2023.
- ↑ Eavis, P. Union Pacific to Buy Norfolk Southern in $85 Billion Railroad Deal. New York Times. July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Stephens, B. STB creates merger resources pages on its website. July 25, 2025.