GE ET44AH 2607

Location: Near Lordsburg, NM
Operator of Vehicle: Union Pacific
Date of Photo: January 20, 2020

Depending on what circles you travel in or what email lists you are subscribed to, you might have seen discussion about the proposed merger between the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern freight railroads.  If the merger goes through, it would result in a freight railroad company with 50,000 miles of track in 43 states, and it would be the first freight railroad in the United States to operate a coast-to-coast network.  In 2024, the two railroads accounted for 43 percent of total freight movement in the United States.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB), an independent federal agency that was established following the abolition of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), is responsible for reviewing the merger and deciding whether to approve it or not.  This decision is expected in 2027.  There are existing freight customers, advocacy groups, and others who are in favor of or opposed to the merger.  The railroads expect the STB to make its decision about whether to approve the merger, deny it, or approve it with conditions in 2027, after a lengthy process that includes a full evidentiary review, public comments, and hearings

For more photos of Union Pacific, please click here.