by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Two major US railroads, BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation, have unveiled an expansion of their intermodal services as their competitors, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, advance plans for a potential merger.

According to the Journal of Commerce, BNSF and CSX seek to establish new coast-to-coast connections linking Southern California with Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida, complementing their established Atlanta route.

Jon Gabriel, BNSF's group vice president overseeing consumer products and intermodal operations, characterised the development as demonstrating collaborative benefits that deliver enhanced operational flexibility.

The railway alliance has simultaneously introduced international container services connecting Kansas City with the ports of New York, New Jersey, and Virginia's marine terminals in Norfolk.

This strategic expansion occurs as Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern progress their proposed USD 85 billion merger, which would establish America's first transcontinental railway network.

The proposed merger would integrate Union Pacific's western infrastructure with Norfolk Southern's eastern operations, creating a system spanning over 50,000 miles across 43 states with access to major coastal ports.