STB approves Norfolk Southern control of NPBL

On April 6, 2026, the Surface Transportation Board formally approved Norfolk Southern NPBL control. The approval covers the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line. It is the terminal switching railroad that serves the Port of Virginia.

Norfolk Southern NPBL control and the CSX dispute

The decision comes amid a seven-year legal dispute between Norfolk Southern and CSX. The dispute centers on the 36-mile Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line. Norfolk Southern has controlled the line since 1982 through its 57% ownership stake. CSX owns the remaining 43% of the railroad. It was established in 1896 as a neutral switching carrier.

During the dispute, regulators concluded that Norfolk Southern had never obtained authority to control NPBL. That approval should have been sought as part of the 1982 Norfolk & Western-Southern Railway merger. As a regulatory housekeeping step, the carrier sought formal approval from the board last year. The case centered on formal board approval. Norfolk Southern had already exercised that control since 1982.

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CSX challenged that request. It argued that it should have direct access to Norfolk International Terminal through NPBL. The line reaches the dockside facility over Norfolk Southern trackage. CSX also claimed, among other things, that Norfolk Southern and NPBL established a switching rate. It said the rate effectively blocks CSX from competing at NIT.

STB decision on Port of Virginia access

In its 32-page decision, the board rejected those arguments. The STB said the issues raised by CSX stemmed from longstanding ownership and rate arrangements. They did not stem from Norfolk Southern’s control itself. It also said trackage rights would expand competition beyond the current situation. In this type of proceeding, the board said, that would exceed its authority.

CSX had also requested trackage rights over Norfolk Southern and NPBL. It sought them to reach Norfolk International Terminal. That separate case was put on hold pending the outcome of the NPBL control matter. The board said CSX could still make that argument in the separate proceeding. It said CSX could argue that trackage rights would serve the public interest. The STB said its decision does not address the merits of those arguments.

Conditions attached to the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line ruling

The board attached conditions to its approval of Norfolk Southern’s control of NPBL. Among them, Norfolk Southern will be held to the representations it made during the case. NPBL will remain a neutral switching carrier. It will operate on a uniform, cost-plus basis for the benefit of its owners. The approval also comes with a five-year oversight period by the board.

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