UP-NS Merger Application Refiled Today

Dear Customers,

Today, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern refiled their application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) seeking approval to merge, after their original filing was rejected by the STB in January as incomplete.

BNSF is carefully reviewing the refiled application, which spans approximately 7,000 pages. While our review is still in its early stages, the fundamental premise of the proposed merger appears unchanged. For that reason, we continue to have serious concerns that this transaction is not in the best interests of customers, competition or the broader freight rail network—concerns echoed by many other industry stakeholders and government officials.

Should the STB accept the UP–NS application, it will move quickly to establish a formal procedural schedule. One of the first and most time-sensitive milestones will be a deadline for customers and stakeholders to file a Notice of Intent to Participate.

That window is expected to be brief—approximately two weeks—and filing serves only as a placeholder. Customers may later decide not to participate and are not required to indicate whether they support or oppose the transaction.

Additional information on this step in the process is available on our website.

Once we complete our full review of the refiled application, we will circle back with further insights and additional clarity from the STB-established procedural review. I encourage you to reach out to me or a member of my team if you would like to discuss this development or the process in more detail.

Sincerely,
 
Tom G. Williams
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer