Nine state attorneys general raise concerns about UP-NS merger

WASHINGTON — The attorneys general from nine states have asked the Surface Transportation Board to give Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern a thorough review, arguing that the merger will stifle competition, raise rates, and hurt manufacturers and agricultural producers. “An America First economy will not work if high internal shipping costs kneecap American […]

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SEPTA meets deadline for Silverliner IV inspections

Men working on roof of railcar

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has completed inspections of its Silverliner IV electric multiple-unit railcars, the agency says, but the amount of Regional Rail equipment available will remain significantly constrained until cars can be repaired. SEPTA originally faced an Oct. 31 deadline for inspection of the 233-car fleet following a series of fires, […]

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Chicago, railroads celebrate completion of Forest Hill Flyover

CSX Intermodal train led by single locomotive passes over Union Pacific and Metra locomotives on bridge

CHICAGO — Some projects of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency, or CREATE, program are begun and completed with relatively limited fanfare. That is certainly not the case with the Forest Hill Flyover, which carries the tracks of CSX Transportation over lines used by Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, the Belt Railway of Chicago, and […]

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Chessie System freight at Keystone Viaduct

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An SD40 and GP9 hold back a westbound freight as they descend Sand Patch Grade a couple of miles west of Sand Patch, Pa., on the former Baltimore & Ohio. The bridge overhead carried the Western Maryland main line, which was rendered redundant when B&O and WM came under common Chessie System control. David Dudjak […]

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Owner of masonry firm receives more than seven-year sentence in Amtrak bribery case

Aerial view of large railroad station next to river

PHILADELPHIA — The owner of an Indiana masonry firm has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison for his part in a long-running case involving bribery and fraud in the renovation of Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Mark Snedden, 70, of Munster, Ind., was sentenced on Oct. 1 to 90 months in prison, a […]

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NS and UP shareholders overwhelmingly approve $85 billion merger

ATLANTA — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern today cleared their first merger hurdle as shareholders overwhelmingly backed their deal to create the first transcontinental railroad. In separate votes, nearly 99% of NS shareholders and 99.5% of UP shareholders approved UP’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of NS. “The approval of our shareholders marks a key milestone […]

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Coalition of rail, environmental advocacy groups asks STB to ensure public role in UP-NS merger proceedings

WASHINGTON — A coalition of rail and environmental groups has submitted comments to the Surface Transportation Board on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, asking the board to clarify whether “substantive filings” from stakeholders other than parties directly involved would be part of the review process. The organizations — the Rail Passengers Association, Southern Rail […]

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CPKC reaches tentative agreement with engineers (updated)

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen for engineers on the former Soo Line in the United States. The agreement announced Thursday, Nov. 13, would cover approximately 300 engineers on the former Soo Line in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and […]

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Union Pacific: We can avoid merger-related tech problems

CHICAGO — Big railroad mergers have often been plagued by problematic computer cutovers that lead to service meltdowns, most recently this spring when CPKC extended its system to the legacy Kansas City Southern network in the U.S. Union Pacific pledges to avoid the same fate if its proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern wins […]

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Metra, UP tell STB that contract negotations continue

Commuter train departing large station with several other trains

WASHINGTON — The ongoing dispute between Metra and Union Pacific over commuter rail operations in the Chicago area was back before the Surface Transportation Board as the board resumed activity following the shutdown of the federal government. Both parties filed a joint status report on negotiations today (Nov. 13), while Metra offered a fairly brief […]

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Surface Transportation Board reopens, sets new date for filings

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — With the federal government reopening following a record 43-day shutdown, the Surface Transportation Board has set a new deadline for filings due during the shutdown period. In a decision issued today (Nov. 13, 2025), the board has dsaid that any submissions due between Oct. 1 and Nov. 12 — including comments on environmental […]

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U.S. rail traffic still below 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic continued its downward trend during the week ending Nov. 8, 2025, with total volume down 4.9% compared to the same week a year ago. According to figures from the Association of American Railroads, the week’s traffic was 493,493 carloads and intermodal units. That includes 224,651 carloads, up 0.1% from […]

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