KINGSPORT — Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. announced Tuesday an agreement to bring America’s first transcontinental railroad.
This announcement represents Union Pacific’s acquisition of Norfolk Southern in an $85 billion deal, according to press releases shared by both companies. Such an agreement would connect over 50,000 route miles across 43 states from coast to coast.
“Railroads have been an integral part of building America since the Industrial Revolution, and this transaction is the next step in advancing the industry,” Jim Vena, Union Pacific Chief Executive Officer, said in the release. “Imagine seamlessly hauling steel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Colton, California and moving tomato paste from Huron, California to Fremont, Ohio. Lumber from the Pacific Northwest, plastics from the Gulf Coast, copper from Arizona and Utah and soda ash from Wyoming.”
The release states a merger like this would “decrease highway congestion” and reduce “wear-and-tear on taxpayer-funded roads.”
Mark George, CEO of Norfolk Southern, said in the release the company is excited for the future of both railroads together. He said both railroads are “integral to the U.S. economy.”
“We are confident that the power of Norfolk Southern’s franchise, diversified solutions, high-quality customers and partners, as well as skilled employees, will contribute meaningfully to America’s first transcontinental railroad, and to igniting rail’s ability to deliver for the whole American economy today and into the future,” he said in the release. "Union Pacific is a true partner that shares our belief in rail’s ability to deliver for all stakeholders simultaneously, and we are excited for our future together.”
Local, state impact
A screenshot of Norfolk Southern’s Railroad Network Map including Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, as captured from their website. Information is recent as of 2016, according to the copyright on the map.
The red line indicates Norfolk Southern and NS local freight rights; the yellow dot represents rail stations.
Contributed/Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern currently has a strong presence across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Based on the most recent map available on the Norfolk Southern website, the company’s trackage and rail stations run through the areas like Kingsport, Piney Flats, Bluff City, Church Hill, Surgoinsville, Bulls Gap, Limestone, Jonesborough and Johnson City.
Norfolk Southern’s thoroughbred logo can most often be seen in the Tri-Cities on the side of locomotives moving freight through downtown Johnson City.
A Norfolk Southern locomotive moves through downtown Johnson City in this file photo from 2020.
By ALLISON WINTERS awinters@sixriversmedia.com
The East Tennessee Railway operates as a short line railroad connecting CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway in Johnson City. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. acquired the East Tennessee Railway in 2005, according to the railway website.
Eastman Chemical Co. declined to comment on the merger’s potential impact at its Kingsport facilities, but said the site is served by both CSX and Norfolk Southern. The Kingsport Times News reported in 2022 that Eastman includes 42 miles of railroad track through its property.
On the Virginia side, the map lists railroad trackage and rail stations in Bristol, Gate City, Duffield, Big Stone Gap, Norton, Abingdon and St. Paul. Norfolk Southern also operates the trackage running through Natural Tunnel State Park, with CSX having trackage rights as well.
In Bristol, Virginia, Norfolk Southern operates a rail yard and trackage beside this city’s historic train station.
Between Tennessee and Virginia, Norfolk Southern’s fact sheets state the company employed 3,614 people and provided $314 million in wages to its employees in 2022. A total of 725 new employees were brought on in those states, with a combined $224 million annual spend average on roadway and infrastructure improvements.
Norfolk Southern operated 2,708 miles of trackage between the two states in 2022, the fact sheets state — with 718 miles in Tennessee and 1,990 miles in Virginia.
Clay Walker, NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership chief executive officer, spoke broadly about the economic impact of railroads and freight in this region. He said that freight and railroad transportation still “very much” drive economic value for the region.
“Rail is important to us here,” Walker said. “We have a few companies that are very much, I don’t know if I would say reliant on rail, but it fits in their business model enough to where they use rail heavily.”
While outside of the Tri-Cities, a portion of Norfolk Southern track infrastructure between Newport, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina, was destroyed due to Hurricane Helene last year. The company announced freight rail service for the area resumed in May 2025. A previous press release states the Pigeon River rail bridge in Newport was entirely replaced by Norfolk Southern in March.
Passenger service in Bristol
The concept of bringing passenger rail service to the Tri-Cities still lingers two summers after the “To and Thru Bristol Passenger Rail” Coalition held a town hall discussing making the service a reality. The project is reliant on the extension of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional Service rail service from the New River Valley into Bristol.
In Summer 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority announced its purchase of the Manassas Line from Norfolk Southern, allowing access to the N-Line. A release from the time states the purchase would aid VRPA in expanding passenger rail service to Christianburg through Norfolk Southern’s Cambria Yard.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the New River Valley Rail Project was held in April 2025. Plans for the project include a new station platform with canopy, parking lot and access roads, track improvements and updated signaling system and an Amtrak layover facility nearby in Radford.
When reaching out to the VPRA for comment on if the Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific merger would impact the Bristol project, the organization directed the Times News to the Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation office for comment.
Exterior photo of the Bristol Train Station, taken in August 2024.
ALLISON WINTERS awinters@sixriversmedia.com
What’s next?
To be called the Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad, the transaction must now be reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board. The release states the companies expect to file their application with the board “within six months,” which will explain the benefits of the combined rail network.
The companies are looking at the close of the transaction happening by early 2027, per the acquisition announcement release. Pending the approval of the deal, the combined company will be headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.