BNSF asks STB to review UP’s compliance with UP-SP merger conditions

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has asked the Surface Transportation Board to review Union Pacific’s compliance with conditions that the board imposed to preserve competition after UP’s 1996 acquisition of Southern Pacific. Due to considerable overlap between the UP and SP systems, the STB granted BNSF the ability to serve customers at so-called 2-to-1 locations, where […]

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SMART-TD ratifies new five-year agreement with Union Pacific

Logo of SMART-TD union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division have ratified their tentative agreement with Union Pacific, the union announced Friday (Nov. 28). More than 80% of SMART-TD members voted in favor of the five-year agreement, which includes a compounded wage increase of 18.77% over the life […]

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How PTC came to Union Pacific’s Big Boy

Editor’s note: The January 2026 issue of Trains Magazine includes author Greg Richardson’s article on the development of positive train control, “The road to PTC,” viewed primarily through the lens of his time in Union Pacific’s PTC program. Space limitations precluded inclusion of his look at development of PTC for Big Boy No. 4014; we […]

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CPKC disputes NS and UP complaints over Meridian Speedway service levels

Map of eastern U.S. highlighting route between Meridian, Miss., and Shreveport, La.

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has told federal regulators that Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific complaints about its train-length restrictions and handling of their intermodal trains on the Meridian Speedway have no merit. On Sept. 30, the eve of the federal government shutdown, NS and UP wrote separate letters to the Surface Transportation Board, […]

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California opens new derailment training site for first responders (with video)

Two firefighters standing on top of tank car stacked to simulate derailment

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — The California Office of Emergency Services and city of Roseville have opened a new Hazmat Derailment Training Site at the Roseville Fire Training Center, filling a need in the state that was underlined by a November 2020 derailment and hazardous materials spill near Goshen, Calif. The facility, opened with a dedication ceremony […]

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Rapido HO GE C36-7 diesel locomotive

Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno reviews the Rapido Trains HO scale (1:87.1) General Electric C36-7 diesel locomotive. Built between 1978 and 1985, this powerful six-axle unit is rated up to 3,750 horsepower. Our Missouri Pacific No. 9034 sample features a detailed cab interior, metal knuckle couplers, and a positionable drop steps. Equipped with an […]

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Rapido Trains HO GE C36-7 diesel locomotive

Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno reviews the Rapido Trains HO scale (1:87.1) General Electric C36-7 diesel locomotive. Built between 1978 and 1985, this powerful six-axle unit is rated up to 3,750 horsepower. Our Missouri Pacific No. 9034 sample features a detailed cab interior, metal knuckle couplers, and a positionable drop steps. Equipped with an […]

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Dozens of trade associations express concern over UP-NS merger

WASHINGTON — More than 60 trade associations have told federal regulators that they fear that Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern will raise rates, hurt service, and put too much traffic under control of a single railroad. “History has shown that increased rail consolidation leads to fewer choices, higher transportation costs, service […]

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BNSF questions Union Pacific’s compliance with Southern Pacific merger conditions

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has revived its efforts to serve a pair of quarries located on Union Pacific trackage in Texas and Arkansas. UP and Southern Pacific served the locations prior to UP’s 1996 acquisition of the SP. As a condition of regulatory approval of the merger, BNSF was granted the right to serve so-called […]

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Union Pacific, boilermakers union reach agreement guaranteeing jobs in event of UP-NS merger

Logo of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers have reached an agreement guaranteeing job security for union members if the UP-Norfolk Southern merger is approved, the fourth such agreement involving the railroad. It will cover current UP and NS workers at the time a merger occurs. “The Boilermakers union looks forward to […]

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International crews help UP, Ferromex speed flow of traffic at Eagle Pass gateway

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Union Pacific last week began using international crews to handle interchange with Grupo Mexico’s Ferromex at the Eagle Pass gateway, the No. 2 U.S.-Mexico rail border crossing. The move shifts the interchange from the International Railway Bridge over the Rio Grande to UP’s Clark Park Yard in Eagle Pass, 7 rail […]

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Railroads debate merits of mergers and alliances

NEW YORK — BNSF Railway, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are touting interline partnerships as a way to gain new volume without having the regulatory and service-meltdown risks associated with a merger. But Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern say alliances are built on a foundation of sand, and can shift with the whims […]

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