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11/13/2025
BNSF Railway President and CEO Katie Farmer yesterday issued a statement in response to Union Pacific Railroad officials' comments made Tuesday about UP's proposed merger with Norfolk Southern Railway.
Speaking at the Baird 55th Annual Conference in Chicago, UP officials stated that over 300 intermodal lanes will not be closed where there is an origin or destination currently on BNSF and NS or Union Pacific and CSX lanes if the merger is approved, according to the BNSF statement.
"I’m sure the nation’s rail customers are relieved that UP is committing to keep all current intermodal lanes open if their merger with NS is approved,” Farmer said in the statement. “UP highlighted in prior rail industry mergers that the new merged railroad usually raises rates on competing interchange partners to the point of making those lanes economically uncompetitive.”
UP's statement at the conference is consistent with its position when it opposed the last major merger between two Class Is, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. Farmer cited a filing that UP made with the Surface Transportation Board at that time.
To read Farmer's statement in its entirety, click here. The statement is the latest of BNSF's comments in opposition to UP's proposed acquisition of NS, which — if approved by the STB — would create the nation's first transcontinental railroad.
It's anticipated the UP-NS merger application will be filed with the STB in the coming weeks. Shareholders of both companies are scheduled to vote Friday on the proposed merger.