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9/30/2025
The Surface Transportation Board is seeking public comments on its proposed procedural schedule for reviewing the case of Union Pacific Railroad's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway. Comments are due Oct. 16.
UP and NS informed the STB on July 30 of their intent to file their proposed merger application before Jan 29, 2026. The railroads proposed to the STB that it will complete its review of the application within a 390-day window. The railroads' proposed schedule also called for a longer comment period than the one listed in STB procedural requirements.
Given the high level of interest in the proceeding, and the potential for many complex issues to come up, the board has agreed to extend the written comment period and provide a corresponding 90-day response period as UP and NS proposed, according to the STB's filing.
But the board also proposed modifications to the railroads' proposed schedule, specifically for preliminary comments from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Transportation. The board's proposed schedule also calls for any hearing or oral argument on the case to be held on a date that would be determined later in the proceeding.
To read the STB's proposed procedural schedule, click here.