The arc of Atlanta’s history and the path of its growth can be traced through the rail lines that forged it.

Many of those tracks today are operated by Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern, a railroad with outsize influence on the city’s past and present, and a railroad that could soon be sold to a rival from Nebraska.

Norfolk Southern employs thousands of Georgians and serves as a lynchpin of economic activity. It even played a pivotal role in the ongoing redevelopment of downtown’s Gulch.

When the company announced plans in late 2018 to relocate to Atlanta from Virginia, there appeared to be nothing but clear tracks ahead.

But the years since have been both momentous and tumultuous for Norfolk Southern.

The company sold land holdings that make up a big part of downtown’s Centennial

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