Union Pacific sets date for historic rail merger filing
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern say they plan to file their formal merger application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) on December 19, setting a new target date for a deal that would create the first freight-only transcontinental railroad.
The proposed combination, valued at $85 billion, would link the two carriers’ networks into a single coast-to-coast system spanning more than 50,000 route miles across 43 states. For trucking, that matters because any shift in rail capacity, intermodal service patterns, or shipper options can ripple into highway freight volumes and lane dynamics.
The filing date comes after earlier timing changes. The application—described as exceeding 4,000 pages—had been expected in late November, then around December 16, before the companies indicated December 19 as the filing date.
Pressure on the deal has also increased. In early December, BNSF Railway, one of Union Pacific’s main competitors, petitioned the STB to revisit and enforce conditions tied to Union Pacific’s 1996 acquisition of Southern Pacific. That move adds another layer for regulators to consider as the new merger request enters the formal review track.
On the political side, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has criticized the merger as “monopoly-like,” warning it could reduce competition and raise prices for goods. Those concerns align with the STB’s long-standing expectations that major rail mergers must show public benefits and address competitive impacts.
Both railroads have said the merger would reshape the U.S. freight rail map, but they have not yet laid out, in public detail, how the partnership would meet the STB requirement to enhance competition or benefit shippers and customers across the South.
For professional drivers, the key takeaway is timing: the filing kicks off the next phase where railroads, shippers, and other stakeholders can scrutinize what the merged network would mean for intermodal service, routing, and competitive choices. Trucking leaders have been watching closely, weighing how changes on the rails could affect operations on the road.
Union Pacific shareholders approved the share issuance needed for the transaction on November 14, 2025, moving the deal closer to the federal review that begins once the STB receives the full application.