Federal regulators approved Norfolk Southern's (NS) proposed US$1.62 billion acquisition of the Cincinnati Southern Railway.

The city-owned Cincinnati Southern railway constitutes the essential 338.2-mile Chattanooga - Cincinnati route within NS's vital corridor connecting Chicago to Atlanta and the Southeast. Under the existing lease, set to end in 2026, NS pays the city approximately US$25 million each year. In this agreement, NS will acquire 9,500 acres of land on which the railway is situated. There are no planned operational alterations following the acquisition. Currently, the route accommodates approximately 30 trains daily.