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11/21/2025
State attorneys general from Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia yesterday called on the Surface Transportation Board to approve the proposed merger of Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway.
In a filing with the board, the three attorneys general tout both the key role that freight railroads serve in powering the U.S. economy, and the environmental benefits of rail transportation.
"The merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will only further strengthen the efficiency, reliability, and effectiveness of our freight rail system," they wrote, and added that the newly formed transcontinental railroad would directly connect 100 North American ports and expand operational access to 43 states.
"The resulting synergies and efficiency gains will also allow for the opening of new routes and an expansion of intermodal services. These improvements are likely to lower supply chain costs for shippers, which ultimately means lower prices for consumers," the attorneys general wrote.
Their letter follows one filed earlier this month by nine other states' attorneys general who expressed concerns about the merger's potentially negative impact on competition.
It's anticipated UP and NS will file their application for the STB's consideration in the coming weeks. In late July, UP announced it would acquire NS, and the two Class Is would merge their operations into a single transcontinental railroad in an $85 billion deal.
The railroads' shareholders approved the merger a week ago.