Public Rail Now

05/29/2026

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board on Thursday announced that it has paused ​the review of the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application — again. “Several aspects of the revised application... are unclear or underdeveloped and ​require supplementation at this stage,” the STB said.

In ​April the two companies resubmitted their merger application to create a coast-to-coast U.S. freight rail operator after their initial proposal was determined to be insufficient and incomplete in January.

The board has now asked the two railroads for more ‌details related ⁠to competition and the effect the merger will have on other railroads, among other topics, by July 27.

In response, the Stop the Rail Merger coalition, representing a broad cross section of the U.S. economy and including BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference, issued a statement, which in part, reads:

“UP and NS have once again submitted an extremely flawed proposal. They have overstated benefits, minimized harm, and left critical questions unanswered. This merger is a bad deal for America and must be rejected.”

The Teamsters Rail Conference, which includes BLET and BMWED, represents the majority of the unionized workforce at UP and NS.

Here is the press release commending STB’s scrutiny of bad UP-NS merger deal from the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition: blet.link/4wX7UxV

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Surface Transportation Board today accepted the Union Pacific (UP)–Norfolk Southern (NS) merger application but delayed the review process to collect vital information...

05/26/2026

The most important thing to know is that the BUILD Act doesn’t provide guaranteed funding for passenger rail. Instead, rail programs would have to fight for funding through the budget process every year.

America is defined by its regions. From the mountains and lush forests of Cascadia, to the plains and Great Lakes of the Midwest, to the bluegrass and sweet wetlands of the Southeast—every region is unique.

05/26/2026

Virginia Policy Rail Institute is hosting a hybrid event:

Virginia Rail Policy Institute hosts a program open to the public at Virginia Conservation Network's office in downtown Richmond, Virginia

05/26/2026

That silence is not a procedural oversight. It is a strategic choice, and understanding why Applicants made it tells you more about the merger's evidentiary vulnerabilities than anything in the 45 pages they did file.

On May 12, 2026, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern filed their reply to public comments on the completeness of their Amended Application in Docket No. FD 36873.

05/26/2026

"as drafted, BUILD America 250 falls short of what passengers, states, workers, and communities need. Without reliable funding and a clear commitment to growth, this bill is not enough to earn our endorsement.”

We look at the "Amtrak reform" and "Passenger Rail Policy" subtitles of the rail title in the House's BUILD America 250 Act.

05/26/2026

A proposed rail merger in the United States would set off a wave of acquisitions that reduces competition, raises consumer costs and generates freight logjams, says Keith Creel, who heads Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.

05/26/2026

“The proposed agreement was rejected by the membership with 71% turnout and over 65% voting against ratification,” the union said in a statement. “The strong participation and vote results reflected the concerns many members..."

The CPKC tentative agreement rejection was confirmed by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. This is reported by the railway transport news por

05/26/2026

"BNSF and other stakeholders have noted hundreds of documented problems with the amended application," and argues that "UP and NS are compromising the integrity of the board's proceedings..."

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway and CPKC have both complained to the Surface Transportation Board that problems with data related to the revised Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application are interfering with their ability to assess claims in that application. BNSF, in a letter to the board on Ma...