The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger leaves three major intermodal customers — J.B. Hunt, Schneider, and STG Logistics — in the awkward position of having their tents pitched in the wrong railroad camps. J.B. Hunt, the largest domestic truckload intermodal operator, uses BNSF Railway in the West and relies primarily on Norfolk Southern in the […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate Democratic leader, has spoken out against the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. In remarks Thursday (July 31, 2025) on the Senate floor, Schumer said approval of the merger “would cut down the industry from four major players to just three, pushing us even further down the road […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — Amtrak and Union Pacific have reached a settlement in their dispute over performance of the Sunset Limited and have asked the Surface Transportation Board to end its investigation into the train’s handling. An Amtrak filing on Thursday, July 31, asks that the STB case — the first of its kind regarding host-railroad handling […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Industrial Transportation League said today that rail shippers will not support a transcontinental railroad merger unless it’s accompanied by improvements in service, pricing, and competition. “Despite the promises that rail customers would benefit from mergers through more efficient service, in reality captive rail customers must pay increasingly higher prices for […]
Read More…
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel today teed off on the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, raising a host of questions and concerns about the $85 billion deal that would reshape the railroad industry. Creel, speaking on CPKC’s earnings call, issued a series of warnings about the transcontinental […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to file their merger application with the Surface Transportation Board on or before Jan, 29, 2026, according to a notice of intent filed with the Surface Transportation Board today (July 30, 2025). That notice of intent, also known as a prefiling notification, is required under the board’s […]
Read More…
The $85 billion Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger agreement includes a $2.5 billion breakup fee that anticipates potential twists and turns that could play out over the next two years. The agreement has an expiration date of Jan. 28, 2028, but will be extended automatically if the Surface Transportation Board merger review process takes […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) are urging the Surface Transportation Board to “keep the best interests of rail shippers and consumers in mind” during the board’s upcoming review of the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, expressing concerns about the merger’s impact in a letter to board members. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s two […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — The Rail Passengers Association said today it will be “actively involved in protecting the rights of passengers” as the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is considered by the Surface Transportation Board. Amtrak had no comment on the merger announcement. Neither did commuter rail operator Metra, which has been involved in a lengthy legal and […]
Read More…
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern executives touted their proposed merger as a way to return to volume growth after losing market share to the highway since rail traffic peaked in 2006. “We can only go so far independently.
And let’s face it, this industry has faced contraction over the last couple decades […]
Read More…
Two unions — the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, and the Transport Workers Union of America — have announced their opposition to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger proposed today by the two railroads. SMART said it will oppose the merger when it goes to the Surface Transportation Board for approval, […]
Read More…
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with Union Pacific, the union announced today (July 29, 2025). IAM’s District 19 represents approximately 1,300 UP workers. Details of the agreement were not announced; union members will receive more information soon and are […]
Read More…