By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Norfolk Southern of violating federal law by frequently delaying Amtrak passenger trains. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 30. 

The suit was the first time the government has taken such action against a Class I railroad since the 1970s. 

In the complaint, the government alleges that NS has given its freight trains priority on multiple occasions. In one instance earlier this year, an NS dispatcher held an Amtrak train for nearly an hour so that it could follow a slow-moving freight into New Orleans.

“Americans should not experience travel delays because rail carriers break the law,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement reported by the New York Times. “Our action today alleges that Norfolk Southern violates federal law by failing to give the legally required preference to Amtrak passenger trains over freight trains.”

Amtrak officials praised the lawsuit. 

“We appreciate that the U.S. Department of Justice is taking steps to enforce in federal court the longstanding federal law requiring that intercity passenger trains receive preference over freight traffic when we operate over shared rail lines,” Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s chief executive, said in a statement. “This critical action by the D.O.J. will help ensure our customers arrive at their destinations on time.”

In a statement to the New York Times, an NS spokesperson said they were focused on complying with federal law and hoping to improve the on-time performance of Amtrak trains on its network.