UP, NS to resubmit merger application to STB on April 30

Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday informed the Surface Transportation Board that they anticipate filing a revised application on April 30 for their proposed merger.

The Class Is had to let the STB know by Feb. 17 whether they would revise their proposal calling for UP to acquire NS and combine their operations into one coast-to-coast freight railroad. The railroads filed their initial application with the STB on Dec. 19, 2025; they announced their plan to merge in late July 2025. 

On Jan. 16, the STB unanimously ruled that the application was incomplete because it did not include certain information required under STB regulations.

The board's decision was based solely on the incompleteness of the application and is not an indication of how the board might ultimately assess any future revised application, STB members said last month in a press release.