Norfolk Southern passenger rail partnerships with states

Norfolk Southern passenger rail partnerships are reshaping how the freight railroad works with states and communities across its 19,200-mile network in 22 U.S. states.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Across this system, Norfolk Southern (NS) moves the goods that keep the U.S. economy running while linking people in towns, cities, and regions. Freight rail remains a core part of America’s success story, and NS is increasingly showing how passenger rail partnerships can sit alongside that freight mission rather than compete with it.

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Alongside its core freight operations, NS has become a major host for both new and existing passenger services. The company works with passenger rail operators and public agencies to design arrangements that respect the needs of freight customers and network capacity while also taking into account what passengers and local communities expect from rail service.

Norfolk Southern passenger rail partnerships driven by collaboration

In recent years, Norfolk Southern passenger rail support for public partners has translated into specific new services on the ground. Working with several states, the railroad has backed the launch of 11 new roundtrip Amtrak trains—22 additional trains per day—over the last 15 years, as outlined in the company’s own Norfolk Southern passenger rail overview. No other Class I railroad has supported more new Amtrak roundtrips, which underlines a strategic, deliberate approach to passenger growth designed to fit alongside freight operations.

This Norfolk Southern Amtrak partnership rests on the idea that freight and passenger services work best when they work together. Amtrak Executive Vice President for Strategy & Planning Jennifer Mitchell notes that Amtrak values NS as a partner that shares its focus on performance, safety, and reliability. In her view, joint work with NS improves the experience for travelers and freight customers, strengthens the broader rail network, and delivers tangible benefits for the communities they serve.

Norfolk Southern’s performance as a host railroad also stands out. The company regularly reviews dispatcher training, closely examines the causes of delay, and keeps a strong focus on overall network fluidity. As a result, Amtrak host delays across NS territory fell by 26% year over year. For the 12 months ending in August 2025, only one Class I railroad ranked higher than NS in Amtrak’s Host Railroad Report. Over the last five months of that period, NS maintained the lowest host-responsible delay (HRD) rates among all Class I railroads, underscoring its commitment to operational excellence and balanced network performance.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Orr links these results to the company’s PSR 2.0 transformation. He notes that NS is improving safety, service quality, and financial performance at the same time. Amtrak’s operations over Norfolk Southern lines, he says, show how better train reliability, schedule iterations, and enhanced network standards translate into additional value across the network.

Virginia deal: VPRA agreement and Manassas Line sale

A prominent Norfolk Southern Virginia passenger rail deal was concluded in late 2024, when NS and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) signed a broad agreement to expand passenger rail in the Commonwealth. Under this arrangement, NS agreed to sell its Manassas Line, opening the door for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) to add evening and weekend frequencies, as set out by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA).

The agreement also provides VPRA with access to a Norfolk Southern mainline so that state-supported Amtrak Virginia service can be extended from the Northeast to the New River Valley at Christiansburg. Thanks to this deal, the extension can move forward sooner than originally planned and at a lower overall cost. The structure of the agreement reflects NS’s approach: supporting the state’s passenger rail goals while preserving freight fluidity and the long-term integrity of its network.

VPRA Executive Director DJ Stadtler notes that, together with Norfolk Southern, the authority has put together an agreement that brings more service to Northern Virginia, adds new service to the New River Valley, and makes rail a strong part of Virginia’s future transportation mix. He emphasizes that VPRA looks forward to deepening its partnership with NS to develop passenger services that match where and when Virginians want to travel.

Western Pennsylvania: expanding Amtrak Pennsylvanian with PennDOT

Norfolk Southern’s partnership model is equally visible in Western Pennsylvania. In September 2023, NS and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) expanded their existing cooperation, agreeing to double service on Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian route, as described in a state announcement from PennDOT. The train operates between New York City and Pittsburgh via Harrisburg, with the section between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh running on Norfolk Southern tracks.

Under the agreement, the Pennsylvanian’s round-trip service is planned to operate twice daily. To support this increased frequency, NS and PennDOT will deliver and maintain key infrastructure upgrades so the line can accommodate higher passenger volumes while still handling important freight traffic. These works—including station improvements on the Pennsylvanian corridor highlighted by Railway Supply—are designed from the outset to serve both passenger and freight needs rather than forcing a choice between them.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll notes that the agreement lays the groundwork for expanded passenger rail service in Western Pennsylvania while preserving a critical freight corridor. He emphasizes that additional safe and reliable transportation options to Western Pennsylvania will help reduce travel times, connect hundreds of thousands of residents, and support local economies. The increased number of Pennsylvanian trips is expected to deliver a noticeable mobility and economic benefit along the route.

North Carolina’s O-Line sale and future Red Line

In North Carolina, Norfolk Southern passenger rail partnerships are helping unlock new commuter rail potential. In September 2024, the company sold 22 miles of its O-Line corridor to the City of Charlotte while retaining an exclusive freight easement. The city plans to incorporate this line into a future Red Line commuter rail project that would connect Uptown Charlotte with northern communities in Mecklenburg County.

This Norfolk Southern O-Line sale for Charlotte Red Line planning secures a key link for the region’s long-term transportation vision, while the retained freight easement ensures that NS can continue serving its freight customers. The company emphasizes that any transactions related to passenger rail must support long-term freight viability and align with regional economic objectives.

Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones thanks city council, city staff, and Norfolk Southern leadership for making the transaction possible. He describes the completed deal as an important step toward the region’s mobility goals and expresses optimism about what the community and region can achieve in the next stages of planning and implementation.

Public–private models for Norfolk Southern Amtrak partnership

Across Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and beyond, Norfolk Southern passenger rail partnerships with Amtrak, state agencies, and local governments demonstrate how a major freight railroad can support passenger expansion when agreements are built around shared objectives. These projects show that passenger growth can be aligned with freight network performance rather than set in opposition to it.

Readers interested in Norfolk Southern passenger rail support and other public–private partnerships can find additional examples of how passenger initiatives complement the company’s freight mission and long-term network strategy in the railroad’s published materials and communications.

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