[5] The holding company retained all the non-rail interests of both predecessors;[5] these were mainly real estate and natural resources, but Southern Pacific had also formed the telephone company known as Sprint, which was sold shortly before the merger.
Former Southern Pacific executive Robert Krebs succeeded Santa Fe head John J. Schmidt as CEO.
A few years after that, they spun off most of the company's natural resources interests as Santa Fe Pacific Corporation.
They also spun off all their non-track real estate interests, including railway stations, as Catellus Development.
Robert Krebs was CEO of the merged company, until his retirement.