STB Rejects Motions to Deny Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger Before Review

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Sept. 18 rejected motions by rail carriers and shipper groups seeking to deny Union Pacific (UNP) and Norfolk Southern (NSC) their proposed merger before a formal review begins. The motions, filed Aug. 18, argued the revised application failed to present a prima facie case. CSX Transportation and BNSF Railway joined the challenges. Shipper groups including the American Chemistry Council, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the Alliance for Chemical Distribution filed a joint motion. The combined railroad would span more than 50,000 route miles across 43 states, connecting 10 international interchanges and roughly 100 ports. STB board member Richard Kloster criticized the application's lack of transparency, saying applicants provided thousands of pages but no robust plan to address competitive concerns. The decision does not determine the merger's merits. Comments are due Nov. 18, with responses due by Feb. 16, 2027.