Norfolk Southern Leads National Dwell Times
Freight movement across United States rail networks shows a distinct performance divergence, with Norfolk Southern recording the highest system-wide dwell times in the latest federal reporting. Published on October 2, 2026, and covering data through the 39th week of September 2026, the USDA AgTransport rail terminal dwell time dataset outlines a national snapshot of how long freight cars linger at major classification yards.
In the aggregated totals across freight railroads, Norfolk Southern leads the sector with a system average of 322.1. The carrier is followed by BNSF at 296.6, CSX at 239.61, Union Pacific at 222.8, CPKC at 221.96, and CN at 200.24.
Roanoke and Decatur Register Peak Yard Delays
Specific classification yards operated by Norfolk Southern account for the highest individual terminal dwell times recorded in the dataset. The terminal in Roanoke, Virginia, registers the highest reading at 45.5, followed by Decatur, Illinois, at 40.6, Elkhart, Indiana, at 36.4, and Bellevue, Ohio, at 34.4.
Additional terminals on the Norfolk Southern network report elevated figures: Birmingham, Alabama, posts 30.3, Conway near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, records 27.7, Macon, Georgia, sits at 26.2, Chattanooga, Tennessee, reaches 23.4, and Atlanta, Georgia, measures 21.6. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, logs a lower dwell time of 11.6, bringing the carrier’s overall system average to 24.4.
CPKC and BNSF Report Terminal Dwell Times
Across other major rail networks, individual hubs demonstrate varying operational tempos. CPKC reports its highest terminal dwell time in Shreveport, Louisiana, at 35.29, followed by Jackson, Mississippi, at 30.15, and Kansas City, Kansas, at 26.36. Facilities in St. Paul, Minnesota, Nahant, Iowa, Bensenville, Illinois, and New Orleans, Louisiana, record 25.13, 21.95, 18.98, and 18.97 respectively. Laredo, Texas, marks the lowest system dwell for CPKC at 3.89, contributing to a system average of 20.45.
BNSF records its peak terminal dwell in Barstow, California, at 34.2, with Fort Worth, Texas, at 29.8, Galesburg, Illinois, at 28.8, Lincoln, Nebraska, at 28.1, and Northtown, Minnesota, at 27.9. Facilities in Denver, Colorado, and Pasco, Washington, register 27.7 and 26.8, while Memphis, Tennessee, records 19.3. BNSF posts a system average of 22.8.
CSX and Union Pacific Track System Averages
For CSX, Louisville, Kentucky, leads with 31.7, followed by Nashville, Tennessee, at 28.34, Selkirk, New York, at 26.2, and Waycross, Georgia, at 24.18. Chicago, Illinois, records the lowest dwell on the CSX network at 7.98, within a system average of 20.32.
Union Pacific’s system average stands at 20, anchored by Pine Bluff, Arkansas, at 22.2, West Colton, California, and Proviso, Illinois, both at 21.2, and Roseville, California, at 18.9.
CN Registers Metrics While Some Facilities Remain Unreported
CN registers a system average of 16.53, with Stevens Point, Wisconsin, at 24.24 and Memphis, Tennessee, at 24.23 leading its terminal metrics, while Proctor, Minnesota, records 9.56.
The dataset also notes filing dates without corresponding dwell time values for several specific locations, including Union Pacific’s North Platt-East facility in Nebraska, Norfolk Southern’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Linwood, North Carolina, yards, and CSX’s Rocky Mount facility in North Carolina.
