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                                                                EXHIBIT (a)(9)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:
          Conrail Inc.                     Abernathy MacGregor Group
          Craig MacQueen                   Joele Frank/Dan Katcher
          (215) 209-4594                   (212) 371-5999

                     CONRAIL ADVISES SHAREHOLDERS TO AWAIT
              BOARD RESPONSE TO NORFOLK SOUTHERN UNSOLICITED OFFER
                            BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION

        Philadelphia, PA, (October 23, 1996) -- Conrail Inc. [NYSE:CRR] today
advised shareholders that they need not take any action at this time with
respect to the unsolicited tender offer announced today by Norfolk Southern
Corp. [NYSE:NSC], and that shareholders should await the response of the
Conrail Board. Conrail said that, while the Board would review the tender offer
in due course, its Board had already carefully considered the relative merits
of a merger with Norfolk Southern rather than CSX and the Board had unanimously
determined that a merger with CSX was in the best interests of Conrail and its
constituencies. Nevertheless, Conrail said that the unsolicited tender offer
would be reviewed and the Board would advise shareholders of the Board's
response.
        Conrail, with corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, operates an
11,000 mile rail freight network in 12 northeastern and midwestern states, the
District of Columbia, and the Province of Quebec.