Voices Against the Merger

M4 Railcar Leasing

“While the merger may appeal to the executives and shareholders of UP and NS, it fails to adequately consider the broader implications for the rail industry and the American economy. The potential for increased congestion, labor challenges, and supply chain disruptions suggests that the merger could do more harm than good.”

East Brookfield Spencer Railroad

“EBSR feels that the contemplated transcontinental merger between the UP & NS before you would greatly impact the viability of our facility by creating a near monopoly for important shipping lanes that the 8 auto manufacturers who we service at our site use... We anticipate that the resultant lack of interline alternatives will impact our business by lowering our volume by nearly one third.”

TUCO, Inc.

"TUCO Inc. believes that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposed merger presents significant risk for businesses like ours and the U.S. economy. We are concerned the merger will harm shippers and their customers by eliminating competition, disrupting service, weakening the U.S. supply chain, and increasing transportation rates."

Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

"The merged railroad would become the dominant provider in several key commodity sectors vital to our local economy, including lumber and wood products, coal, chemicals, pulp and paper products, intermodal containers among others. These sectors support a wide range of industries in northeastern Minnesota. Reduced competition in rail service could lead to higher transportation costs, fewer routing options, and diminished access to markets."

Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

"Farmers, ranchers, and processors in our region depend on flexible, reliable rail service to move grain, oilseeds, livestock feed, and processed products to domestic and export markets. Reduced competitive pressure or diminished service options could lead to higher transportation costs, less favorable terms, and slower resolution of local service issues."

GNA-Brook Fire Protection

"We are concerned the merger will harm shippers and their customers by eliminating competition, disrupting service, weakening the U.S. supply chain, and increasing transportation rates. This would lead to higher costs for American businesses, making it harder for America to compete in global markets and harder for everyday Americans to afford basic necessities."

American Rail Center

"The proposed UP–NS merger poses a material threat to the viability of independent, CSX-served transload service providers like ARC. Past experience with the Conrail breakup demonstrates how failure to preserve routing parity and access structure can permanently displace neutral facilities and consolidate market power."

Saint Paul Commodities

"While railroads are essential to the nation's economy, this transaction if approved; would substantially reduce competition, increase market concentration, and create significant risks for shippers like myself."

Hugh Sawyer - Locomotive Engineer and Member of Railroad Workers United

"This is not for the betterment of the United States of America. This is not good for our national security. It’s not good for our economy in the long run… There is hope. We can stop this merger!"

Wyoming Sugar Company

"The proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) threatens our nation’s agricultural industry, which is uniquely reliant on a competitive nationwide rail network… The significantly increased market power of a combined UP-NS would reduce competition, service and optionality for agricultural shippers…America’s agriculture industry is already facing financial stress and can’t afford less competition and an expansion of captive markets on a combined UP-NS."

Mert Tokman - Professor of Marketing, Business and Global Supply Chain Management at James Madison University

"With fewer competitors, the merger could create a railroad oligopoly, making it easier for companies to raise shipping prices. Virginia’s poultry industry may be forced to turn to trucks for grain shipments, adding more congestion to I-81 and surrounding communities."

Dr. Hal Singer - Professor of Economics and Director of the Utah Project at the University of Utah

"This problem of concentration—it can not only lead to the exercise of economic power…but also political power in ways that distort the proper functioning of a democracy."

Sunflower State Industrial Railway

"Here we go again: thinking Bigger IS Better. What happens this time? A trans continental railway and at What Cost? Why is [it] always the stockholders who Benefit??? How about those workers who all lose jobs due to labor duplicity?"

Ron Kaminkow - Retired Rail Worker

"The fact that we will be paired down to four Class 1s at this rate in North America gives these carriers inordinate power like they’ve never had, and the more powerful they are, the weaker we are. And the more powerful they are, the more likely they will be successful in lobbying for the eradication of longstanding safety rules, of labor legislation that guarantees us the right to collectively bargain and choose a union to represent us and so forth and so on."

Matt Parker - Locomotive Engineer

"Show me one example of where service has improved and or freight rates have gone down as a result of this cost cutting… Nobody’s ever been able to show me one, because it’s not out there. It’s all going back to the shareholders. And again, it’s the public, the shippers who are paying the price for this. And it’s the result of this consolidation. It’s only going to get worse."