“With the merger, we see opportunities to enhance that growth profile by moving a significant portion of the business from trucking to rail. Today, trucks transport 43% of all freight tonne miles. To capture that market share, we will need to compete not only against trucks, but also against other railroads. We expect to win,” emphasized Jennifer Hamann, UP’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

He mentioned that, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) , their freight movement increased by 7% between 2020 and 2024. “We have grown in volume by delivering the service we sold to our customers and by operating with a resource margin that can adapt to demand.”

He noted that if the end-to-end merger is completed, it will offer a single-line service on 10,000 routes , connecting 88,000 new points; in addition, it will improve speed and increase service reliability by eliminating time-consuming interchanges.

He explained that currently, when an exchange is involved, railroads require at least one transfer, send more than one invoice, and cannot offer a single system for pricing, shipment tracking, or customer service.

“With the merger, we are also expanding our service product, adding seven new daily intermodal routes and six new manifest trains that will allow our customers to enter new markets. These new services strengthen rail competition. For our rail colleagues to compete against us, they will have to improve their own service offerings, reduce their prices, or both,” Hamann explained.

In that regard, he said that the Land Transportation Board (STB) recognizes that end-to-end, single-line, open-door service enhances competition, as it stated when approving the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger.

“Our merger is also end-to-end and inherently pro-competitive. The Gateway Committed Fare (GCF) extends those benefits to customers who would not otherwise benefit from enhanced competition, specifically at the origin or destination by CSX, BNSF, or a shortline partner. The GCF has been misrepresented as the sole competition-enhancing element in our record, but that misunderstands or misrepresents the key point: the GCF isn’t the ice cream, it’s the cherry on top,” he said.

It should be recalled that the STB accepted for consideration the revised merger application between UP and NS earlier this month and ordered the applicants to submit supplementary information by July 27.

“The STB considers that the applicants have provided sufficient information to meet the integrity requirements for a major merger application. Given the rather limited procedural issue of integrity, the issues raised by the commentators do not justify rejecting the revised application,” the agency stated.

According to UP, following this decision, more than two thousand letters have been sent to STB’s file , highlighting comments from a growing number of industry specialists, policymakers, and academics, who have expressed their opinions on the merger’s ability to strengthen the supply chain and boost the growth of the US economy.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @GrupoT21

El cargo UP reiterates that the merger with Norfolk Southern will increase rail competition in the US. apareció primero en T21.

The Land Transportation Board (STB) accepted for consideration the revised merger application between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) and ordered the applicants to submit supplemental information by July 27.

“The STB considers that the applicants have provided sufficient information to meet the integrity requirements for a major merger application. Given the rather limited procedural issue of integrity, the issues raised by the commentators do not justify rejecting the revised application,” the agency stated.

This follows the unanimous decision of January 16, which determined that the applicants’ original application was incomplete, as it did not contain certain information required by STB regulations, so the applicants submitted a revised application on April 30, 2026, taking into account public comments on the integrity of the revised application.

However, the agency indicated that there are several aspects of the revised application that are unclear or underdeveloped and require supplementation at this stage of the procedure so that it has the necessary information to thoroughly assess—and the public has an adequate opportunity to comment—whether the transaction is in the public interest.

In this regard, applicants must submit supplementary information on enhanced competition, public benefits, service guarantee plan, market share projections, subsequent impacts of mergers, among others.

“As a result, the decision suspends the proceedings, including the environmental review, pending the applicants’ submissions and supplementary information from the STB. The suspension of the procedural timetable does not affect the remainder of the process. In a future decision, the agency will establish an appropriate procedural timetable for the rest of the proceedings,” it stated.

The STB noted that the current main merger rules established a modernized framework and introduced new requirements aimed at improving competition, integrity in profit estimates, service assurance and potential downstream effects.

“The rules also expanded the STB’s public interest inquiry and underscored the importance of assessing the impacts of a merger on short-line railways, ports, employees, communities, and other stakeholders who rely on a safe, efficient, and competitive rail network. In this context, the decision explains that, in examining the substance of the revised application, it will not initiate a procedural timetable that would, in effect, place an undue burden on the commenting parties. Initiating the process before key information is fully developed and submitted would require the board and the commenting parties to assess and respond to complex aspects of the proposed merger without the clarity and detail necessary to evaluate how the proposed merger aligns with the current regulatory framework,” it emphasized.

He specified that at least 12 in-person public meetings and several virtual meetings will be held , and a public project website, which will be updated throughout the EIS process, is available, as well as through the STB’s UP-NS Merger Resources page, to mention a few actions.

UP and NS celebrated the decision as an important step toward a revitalized and more competitive U.S. rail industry. The companies acknowledged STB’s request for additional information regarding its amended merger application.

“We are confident that this merger will offer more reliable and lower-cost transportation options for American businesses. We are presenting a comprehensive, data-driven application, backed by a detailed plan for a seamless integration. We look forward to the opportunity to show the facts and demonstrate the benefits for our customers, employees, and the United States,” said Jim Vena, CEO of Union Pacific.

Mark George, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, said, “The added detail strengthened our analysis and improved the integration planning in our amended application. We are more confident than ever in the value this proposal will bring to all stakeholders and look forward to a thorough and transparent review.”

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @GrupoT21

El cargo US authority accepts revised UP-NS merger reques apareció primero en T21.

The State Transportation Board (STB) reported that it will announce on May 8 whether the new merger application between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) is complete in order to proceed with the proposed transaction.

“The board will determine the completeness of the reviewed request; such comments should address only whether it is complete, as comments on the merits of the proposed transaction will be sought at a later stage of the proceedings if the board accepts the request,” the agency said.

He specified that applicants can submit a response addressing any comments on integrity before May 12 , so that an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) can initially resolve all disputes for an efficient procedure.

“Interested parties should file any discovery motions as soon as possible to allow the ALJ to resolve discovery disputes expeditiously, and it may rule on any motion on the effective date of this decision,” he explained.

Following this comment and response period, the STB will make a decision on the completeness of the document , either accepting it as complete or rejecting it as incomplete. This determination should not be confused with a determination on the substance of the proposed transaction. If the STB accepts the document, it will issue a procedural timetable for comments on the substance of the proposed transaction.

Similarly, the STB required applicants to redesignate the Company Disclosure Annexes as public.

For its part, the railway company BNSF reported that it is carefully reviewing the application submitted by UP-NS, which covers approximately seven thousand pages.

“Although our review is still in its early stages, the fundamental premise of the proposed merger appears unchanged. For that reason, we continue to have serious concerns that this transaction is not in the best interests of customers, competition, or the freight rail network as a whole—concerns shared by many other industry stakeholders and government officials,” said Tom G. Williams, the firm’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

He commented that if STB accepts the request, it will act quickly to establish a formal procedural timeline , one of the main reasons being the deadline for clients and interested parties to submit a Notice of Intent to Participate.

However, he reiterated that they will provide more information and additional clarity on the procedural review established by STB, once they review the document.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @GrupoT21

El cargo STB sets date to accept or reject UP-NS merger request apareció primero en T21.

Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) filed a new merger application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Thursday, with additional analysis reinforcing that the combination will boost growth, allow substantial savings for carriers, and strengthen the U.S. supply chain.

“After completing the additional work requested by the STB, the facts remain clear: This merger enhances competition and delivers real public benefits that strengthen America’s supply chain. Our analysis uses comprehensive, system-level traffic data provided by all Class I railroads to identify even more opportunities for our combined railroad to grow and compete,” said Jim Vena, CEO of Union Pacific.

He asserted that the analysis of the updated application is the first in the history of rail mergers to use 100% real traffic data provided by the six Class I railroads in North America, rather than the sample data available from the STB, making it the most comprehensive assessment of market and operational impacts to date.

Furthermore, he confirmed that the merger will make rail significantly more competitive with long-haul trucking , taking approximately 2.1 million trucks off the road. Shifting freight from trucks to rail will save nearly $3.5 billion annually, benefiting consumers and making American products more affordable. Carriers will also save on inventory and equipment costs through the faster and more reliable service of the combined rail system.

“This merger is fundamentally about growth. Shippers have been clear about what they value, and the data backs it up. When single-track rail service is available, they choose it. Our combined network will offer seamless freight transfers within and across Mississippi Basin markets, with a responsible Class I rail system from origin to destination,” said Mark George, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern.

It should be recalled that on January 16, the STB announced its rejection of the application and invited both companies to submit a revised application addressing the deficiencies identified in the decision. The STB specified that the railway companies must include a comprehensive system impact analysis, market share projections for the entity to be created through the transaction, and the complete merger agreement, including the submission of any contracts or other written instruments related to the transaction.

According to their current analysis, the UP-NS combination is an end-to-end merger that connects the eastern and western United States with the goal of achieving growth through new routes and improved service that eliminates interchange transfers that can add 24 to 48 hours and costs to the supply chain.

To address the additional growth opportunities identified with stronger Class I traffic data, the amended application increases the projected number of new premium intermodal lanes operating seven days a week from six to seven, with a new lane connecting Northern California and the Southeast. “The combined company will have sufficient equipment and infrastructure capacity to support projected growth.”

Furthermore, the document confirms that the merger will preserve customer access to competitive rail alternatives and will not have a significant impact on geographic competition or the availability of independent routes.

“Our projections show that the combined rail will travel roughly the same number of ton-miles as our western competitor today, underscoring how this merger will increase competition in the market. That competition will drive innovation and help reduce costs—benefits that American carriers and consumers will feel directly,” Vena said.

Additionally, it will also generate more well-paid union jobs , as the combined company is estimated to need 1,200 new union jobs by the third year of the merger to manage new business, up from 900 in the original request. “This growth adds to the unprecedented guarantee of lifetime jobs.”

“As requested by the STB, the amended application includes more detailed market share projections that account for the growth the combined railroad expects to achieve as carriers shift truck and other rail traffic to its faster, more reliable coast-to-coast service. The analysis confirms what we’ve been saying: our merger will generate strong growth by offering customers a superior service product, which in itself creates competition in the rail industry. The announcement of our merger alone has prompted other railroads to respond with new bids,” George commented.

Both parties asserted that the updated application complies with the guidelines and presents an even stronger argument for why the United States needs a seamless, coast-to-coast railroad to revitalize the rail industry. The transaction remains subject to review and approval by the State Transportation Board (STB) within its statutory timeframe.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @GrupoT21

El cargo UP defends merger with NS; files new application with US authority apareció primero en T21.

Union Pacific (UP) informed the Land Transportation Board (STB) that  it will submit a new application for its merger with Norfolk Southern (NS) on April 30 .

In a letter sent to the aforementioned organization, UP indicated that the decision was due to the fact that the first document submitted was considered incomplete by that regulatory authority.

“Union Pacific Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company are submitting this letter to inform the Board that they anticipate submitting a revised application on April 30, 2026,” the letter dated February 17 stated.

It is worth remembering that on January 16, the STB reported that it rejected the request and invited both companies to submit another one that addresses the deficiencies noted in the decision.

The STB specified that railway companies must include a full system impact analysis , market share projections for the entity to be created through the transaction, and the full merger agreement, including the submission of any contract or other written instrument relating to the transaction.

In addition to actual and projected market shares of certain revenues and traffic volumes that demonstrate, among other things, the impact of the transaction on competition, to name a few.

“In the application, the railway companies project that the merger will result in traffic growth, including diversions, and state that the full impact of the transaction will not be realized until three years after completion. However, they present as projected market shares only the sum of the estimated actual market shares of UP and NS for 2023. The application does not contain future market share projections that show the combined effects of merger-related growth, diversions, and merger-influenced changes, as well as other changes in market conditions that the applicants anticipate,” STB stated at the time.

In addition to those problems, the authority identified further deficiencies in the application , such as the control of the St. Louis Railroad Association Terminal, since it is a significant transaction, not a minor one; “the decision identifies several technical and minor aspects that must be addressed in any reviewed application.”

The US railroads filed their merger application on December 19, 2025, a nearly 7,000-page document that includes a record 2,000 letters of support from stakeholders, joining shareholders of both companies who cast votes with 99% in favor of the merger.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will submit a new application to STB in April. apareció primero en T21.

Union Pacific (UP) informed the Land Transportation Board (STB) that  it will submit a new application for its merger with Norfolk Southern (NS) on April 30 .

In a letter sent to the aforementioned organization, UP indicated that the decision was due to the fact that the first document submitted was considered incomplete by that regulatory authority.

“Union Pacific Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company are submitting this letter to inform the Board that they anticipate submitting a revised application on April 30, 2026,” the letter dated February 17 stated.

It is worth remembering that on January 16, the STB reported that it rejected the request and invited both companies to submit another one that addresses the deficiencies noted in the decision.

The STB specified that railway companies must include a full system impact analysis , market share projections for the entity to be created through the transaction, and the full merger agreement, including the submission of any contract or other written instrument relating to the transaction.

In addition to actual and projected market shares of certain revenues and traffic volumes that demonstrate, among other things, the impact of the transaction on competition, to name a few.

“In the application, the railway companies project that the merger will result in traffic growth, including diversions, and state that the full impact of the transaction will not be realized until three years after completion. However, they present as projected market shares only the sum of the estimated actual market shares of UP and NS for 2023. The application does not contain future market share projections that show the combined effects of merger-related growth, diversions, and merger-influenced changes, as well as other changes in market conditions that the applicants anticipate,” STB stated at the time.

In addition to those problems, the authority identified further deficiencies in the application , such as the control of the St. Louis Railroad Association Terminal, since it is a significant transaction, not a minor one; “the decision identifies several technical and minor aspects that must be addressed in any reviewed application.”

The US railroads filed their merger application on December 19, 2025, a nearly 7,000-page document that includes a record 2,000 letters of support from stakeholders, joining shareholders of both companies who cast votes with 99% in favor of the merger.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will submit a new application to STB in April. apareció primero en T21.

Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NSC) submitted their application to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Friday , requesting approval to merge the two U.S. railroads.

The application, nearly seven thousand pages long, includes a record two thousand letters of support from stakeholders, joining shareholders of both companies who cast 99% of their votes in favor of the merger.

“We look forward to working with the Board as it reviews our historic application to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. As time and technology continue to transform how goods are delivered, our industry must keep pace and move forward, reaching underserved markets with new rail solutions and strengthening America’s supply chain,” said Jim Vena, CEO of UP.

He noted that this merger will connect the United States from coast to coast , transforming 10,000 existing interline service routes into a faster and more efficient single-line service, eliminating time-consuming transfers between railroads.

It will also eliminate approximately 2,400 railcars and containers and 60,000 rail-miles each day, competing more effectively with long-distance road transport, converting about two million road freight loads to rail annually.

In addition, it will provide one-way access to more than 100 ports connecting to global markets and 10 international gateways to markets in Canada and Mexico.

“ This combination will bring together UP’s extensive western reach and NS’s unmatched access to the East’s manufacturing and population centers in an end-to-end combination. It will create a coherent freight rail solution with 50,000 miles of routes connecting 43 states and more than 100 ports,” said Mark George, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern.

Following this announcement, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced that it formally received the UP-NS merger request and will review it thoroughly in the coming days.

“We will examine the application from at least two perspectives: whether it complies with the Board’s 2001 Major Merger Rules and whether it provides the STB and stakeholders with an adequate basis for assessing the public interest consequences of the proposed UP-NS merger,” he said.

He mentioned that the first step in the STB’s merger review process is to determine, before January 18, 2026, whether to accept the application for consideration or reject it as incomplete.

“If approved, the merger would pose extraordinary and far-reaching risks to customers, rail employees, and supply chains in general. We are confident that the STB will conduct a rigorous process to assess all the short- and long-term impacts on the public interest of this proposed behemoth, including the competition that rail customers face today,” he said.

Meanwhile, Katie Farmer, president and CEO of BNSF , commented that they are reviewing the STB’s presentation, although she clarified that “so far, BNSF’s opposition to the proposed merger remains unchanged.”

“The transaction poses a significant threat to the American economy and consumers due to its long-term competitive disadvantages. It would leave carriers with fewer options, leading to higher fares and ultimately higher prices for consumers. This did not begin with customers calling for this merger, and the claimed public benefits appear to accrue primarily to shareholders. Past mergers demonstrate the risk of serious service disruptions with destructive impacts on customers, the rail network, and the nation’s economy,” he said.

Comment and follow us on X:  @GrupoT21

El cargo Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submit merger application to STB apareció primero en T21.

The possible merger between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) , announced on August 1, threatens to reshape the North American railroad landscape and open a strategic window for Mexico .

Beyond overcoming a corporate concentration in the United States, which is currently being reviewed by the relevant authorities, one of the benefits of this transaction lies in its implications for the competitiveness of Mexican foreign trade and key sectors such as the automotive, steel, and agricultural industries.

If implemented, UP would not only consolidate its position as the largest ton-mile operator in the United States—even surpassing Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) , the first trinational railroad—but would also expand its capabilities to more than 51,000 operating miles, representing more than a third of the U.S. rail network.

According to Carlos Barreda Westphal, director of Ferroviaria.mx , “ this acquisition could make UP the main operator , even above CPKC, whose strategy has focused on vertical and cross-border operations between Canada, the United States and Mexico.”

For Mexico, the equation is clear: more infrastructure and fewer interline connections translate into better transit times. Juan Carlos Miranda Hernández, general director of JCM Engineering and Consulting, points out that this merger would streamline interline traffic in the United States, which would directly impact key connection points such as Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans, hubs where freight trains to and from Mexico converge.

Comment and follow us on X:  @evandeltoro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo UP-NSC: The merger that would put Mexico on a new path apareció primero en T21.