CSX Transportation Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway and Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad. According to the lawsuit, CSX believes “NS and the NPBL have used the NPBL as a chess piece to establish and maintain NS’ monopolistic control over intermodal transportation in and out of [Norfolk International Terminals] by making it practically impossible for any other rail carriers to provide intermodal service to NIT.”
Norfolk Southern currently has former employees in all management positions of the Belt Line. Additionally, NS also has current or former employees in four of the six voting seats on the Belt Line’s board of directors, along with one nonvoting director.
The lawsuit goes on to say that “The Virginia Port Authority has indicated that the growing port would benefit from multiple rail carriers being able to access NIT because it would allow more volume to be moved at competitive prices. And yet, at this point, competitors such as CSXT are practically precluded from using the NPBL to connect to NIT because the rate set by NPBL’s board, in concert with NS, is prohibitively expensive and because NS refuses to allow NPBL to handle intermodal trains over its tracks on a regular basis.”
CSX Sues Norfolk Southern, Short-Line Railroad Over Alleged Monopoly
