Committed to our continued partnership
with passenger rail

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern share a strong commitment to providing the service we sold our customers and the same holds true for our passenger rail partners — we stand by our service commitments.

The combined network will honor existing passenger performance and contractual agreements, including long-term expansion projects. The railroad will also continue collaborating with passenger rail partners to deliver the highest level of service and to find new ways to improve schedule reliability.

In the end, the enhanced efficiency of a combined network will benefit all stakeholders, including passenger services, freight customers and communities.

AMTRAK

With its large national footprint, Amtrak is a key passenger rail provider and an important stakeholder. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have worked with Amtrak since its creation in 1971, sharing rail infrastructure and finding ways to enhance service for passenger and freight customers.
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The proposed merger will not change existing agreements or governing laws. All regulatory and legal commitments to Amtrak will be honored, including on-time commitments.

AMTRAK TRAINS TRAVEL

4.6M

Miles
Anually

on Union Pacific’s network

2.9M

Miles
Anually

on Norfolk Southern’s network

AMTRAK
REPORT CARD

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern earned high marks in 2025

PASSENGER AND RAILROADS WORKING TOGETHER

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern share a long history of collaborating with passenger rail providers on projects that benefit freight and passenger rail.

High-Speed Rail from Chicago to St. Louis

Union Pacific was a key partner in a 25-year effort to provide high-speed passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis, working with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Amtrak and other stakeholders. Completed in 2023, the project:

Rehabilitated 262 miles of mainline track
Constructed 50 miles of additional track
Constructed 200 bridge structures and culverts

Missouri River Runner

Union Pacific and Amtrak continue to partner to enhance passenger rail service between Kansas City and St. Louis. In 2025, the partners launched a new initiative to evaluate data and improve performance. One key investment:

An $8 million investment in a 9,000-foot passing loop near California, Missouri.

Mountain Passenger Service in Colorado

Union Pacific and the State of Colorado signed a 25-year lease in May 2025 to expand passenger rail service, including granting access to passenger trains through Moffat Tunnel.

“With this work, we are showing the country a new model for pursuing passenger rail through collaboration with the railroad.”

– Colorado Gov. Jared Polis

Commuter Rail Expansion in North Carolina

Norfolk Southern sold 22 miles of its O-Line corridor to the City of Charlotte in 2024 while maintaining an exclusive freight easement. The sale:

Supports development of a new Red Line commuter rail service connecting uptown Charlotte to northern Mecklenburg County.

Virginia Passenger Rail Expansion

Norfolk Southern reached two milestone deals in 2021 and 2024 with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) to expand passenger service across the Commonwealth. The agreements:

Added a second daily roundtrip service between Washington, D.C. and Roanoke, VA.
Enabled VPRA’s purchase of the Manassas to Alexandria line, allowing for the expansion of the Virginia Railway Express commuter service.
Granted VPRA access to mainline between Roanoke and Christiansburg.

Expanding Access in Western Pennsylvania

Norfolk Southern and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation entered into a major agreement in 2023 to double Amtrak service between New York City and Pittsburgh. The agreement:

Granted passenger rail access to the Norfolk Southern route between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Supported infrastructure upgrades to increase passenger capacity while maintaining critical freight throughput.

DEDICATED COMMUNICATION FOR PASSENGER SERVICE

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern both maintain dedicated systems to support passenger rail operations, ensuring real-time coordination and responsiveness across their networks.

Around the Clock:

Union Pacific operates a dedicated passenger operations desk that monitors passenger services 24/7, providing direct, ongoing communication between passenger agencies and freight operations, supported by regular performance reviews and service discussions.
Norfolk Southern coordinates with passenger rail partners, including Amtrak and state-supported services, through 24/7 dispatching and operations teams to meet regulatory and contractual commitments while maintaining service standards.

As part of the proposed merger, these communication systems will be integrated and expanded to support the new transcontinental railroad across 43 states and 50,000 miles of track, enhancing transparency and responsiveness across the combined network.

Key components include:

Train dispatcher education: All new dispatchers are educated on passenger service commitments, including Amtrak’s history, passenger agencies across the network, passenger routes and federal statutory requirements.
Emergency preparedness: Train dispatchers have access to the Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness Plan and are tested on the plan annually.