Keeping rail freight moving in the bustling Northeast Corridor is a difficult task in the best of times. And even tougher in a pandemic.

Conrail has long been the dominant Class 1 railroad in the Northeastern U.S. Today it’s jointly owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation, but it still plays a major role in moving intermodal freight within the region, with an emphasis on serving the Port of New York and New Jersey. On this episode, we speak with Conrail president and chief operating officer Brian Gorton. He discusses how the railroad is faring during the pandemic, a time of surging freight volumes coupled with severe supply chain congestion, and how technology might help. He also speculates about the impact of the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and just when we’ll see relief from the current crisis.