Overview
- Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, which refiled Thursday, asked the Surface Transportation Board to approve a deal creating the first coast‑to‑coast freight railroad.
- To ease competition concerns, the railroads pledged to give up control of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, a major yard where all big U.S. and Canadian freight lines hand off cars.
- The companies say single‑line service would cut one to two days from many trips, shift about 2.1 million truckloads to rail each year, and save shippers roughly $3.5 billion annually.
- Opposition hardened after a new coalition launched Wednesday with BNSF, CPKC, and major farm and chemical groups, which cited a poll reporting about 71% voter opposition and warned a combined carrier could control near 40% of U.S. freight.
- Regulators raised the bar for rail tie‑ups after past integrations snarled freight, and this review could run many months and require more concessions, with a $750 million breakup fee underscoring the stakes if approval falls through.