Amtrak has settled a dispute with Union Pacific over delays to one of Amtrak’s long-distance passenger routes in the southwest.
Amtrak complained to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in 2022 that Union Pacific, a freight rail company, routinely delayed passenger trains on the Sunset Limited line, which runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Under the agreement, finalized Aug. 6, Union Pacific said it would educate its staff on the company’s obligation to make way for Amtrak trains.
The settlement comes as Union Pacific seeks approval for its $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern railroad, a deal that would create the country’s first transcontinental railroad. Both parties have faced complaints about interfering with Amtrak service, and the transportation board will have to approve the merger.
One advocate for passenger rail said the settlement represented a missed opportunity for regulators to better define what it means for freight rail to interfere with passenger service.
