1.   As a result, the various railroads have seemed like guests at a dance, pairing off and leaving others feeling left out.

2.   Because the two railroads overlap in Texas and elsewhere, the merger has been fought by many shippers, and it divided the federal government.

3.   Before the group would support the takeover, he said, it insisted that the two railroads meet monthly with a group of shippers to report on their progress.

4.   After the split, the two railroads will dominate rail freight in the eastern U.S.

5.   Buchbinder said the two railroads may be discovering that they have more differences than they thought.

6.   But some analysts suggest that Norfolk Southern never intended to win this fight, merely to set in motion events whereby Conrail is carved up between the two railroads.

7.   By Thursday morning, the contrast between the two railroads was stark.

8.   DeCurtis, the records show, had one of the worst safety records among engineers at the three railroads.

9.   Integrating the two railroads will be costly, analysts said.

10.   It is not clear whether a merger would force the MTA to eliminate disparities in wages and work rules for similar job titles for the two railroads.