Norfolk Southern jet lands in Washington as railroad merger faces regulatory scrutiny

Norfolk Southern flew from Fulton County Airport to Washington Dulles on June 19, a 1-hour-20-minute hop in its Bombardier Challenger 605 (N157NS). The aircraft, which typically shuttles executives between Atlanta HQ and the capital, touched down just after 4:42 p.m. local time.

The trip arrives the same week the Surface Transportation Board accepted but paused the railroad's proposed $85 billion merger with Union Pacific, ordering more detail across nine issues by July 27, per ustransportnews.com. The regulatory slowdown comes as a bipartisan rail safety bill — sparked by the 2023 East Palestine derailment — advances in Congress, with Norfolk Southern spending over $2 billion on compensation and litigation, as reported by the AJC.

This is Norfolk Southern's third documented visit to Washington this month, following round trips on May 7, May 8, and May 14. The pattern suggests sustained lobbying or regulatory meetings as the company navigates merger reviews, labor disputes over crew shortages, and lingering fallout from the Ohio derailment.