Norfolk Southern returns to Atlanta after a day of merger lobbying in Washington

Norfolk Southern flew from Washington Dulles to Atlanta's Fulton County Airport on Thursday evening, a 1h 21m in a Bombardier Challenger 605. The trip ends a day that likely included meetings with regulators or lawmakers as the railroad prepares to refile its merger application with Union Pacific.

The same week, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are "on track" to refile their merger application with federal regulators by the end of April, executives told investors, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The proposed $85 billion-dollar deal would create a transcontinental railroad covering nearly half the nation's rail volume, though it faces opposition from competitors warning of market consolidation.

The Atlanta-based railroad has been unusually active in the air travel this month. The Challenger 605 visited Minneapolis, Chicago, and Bismarck in the past ten days, aligning with CEO Mark George's April 14 speech to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association in Minneapolis, where he argued earlier mergers ultimately benefited the industry despite integration struggles.