Norfolk Southern Purchase of D&H Line Approved

Federal regulators have approved Norfolk Southern's purchase of nearly 300 miles of rail line now owned by Delaware and Hudson Railway in New York and Pennsylvania.

The $217 million sale has been given the green light by the United States Surface Transportation Board.

The proposed deal was announced last November. It covers 282 miles of track between Schenectady and Sunbury.

The lines involved in the sale connect with the Norfolk Southern rail network in Binghamton and Sunbury.

The Delaware and Hudson Railway now operates as a unit of Canadian Pacific Railway.

Delaware and Hudson this month informed the New York Department of Labor that 165 workers in the state would be affected by the transaction.

Some layoffs are expected when the sale closes this summer. A Norfolk Southern representative was not available to provide information on how many people may lose their jobs.