STAKEHOLDERS AGAINST THE MERGER

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer

Dec 7, 2025

"If approved by the feds, the deal would cut down the industry from four major players to just three, pushing us even further down the road of dangerous consolidation and monopoly power. Even worse, the costs of everything from food, via agriculture shipments, to other goods dependent on a competitive supply chain, risk going much, much higher."

Steve Cortes

President of the League of American Workers; Senior Political Adviser to Catholic Vote

Nov 17, 2025

"The merger would give one company enormous power over how our goods move from coast to coast, especially the things that keep America running: crops, energy, manufactured goods, and everything in between…. It’s a slap in the face to U.S. manufacturers who depend on rail to get their goods to market. Higher costs, fewer choices, and worse service for American businesses — all while foreign competitors get a boost. That’s not America First. That’s America Last."

Arnav Rao

Transportation Policy Analyst, Open Markets Institute

Nov 10, 2025

"We have reason to be distrustful [of claimed benefits] because we have already gone through this exercise many times before. They say that they’re going to grow volumes; they never grow volumes. They say that workers jobs are going to be preserved; and we see furloughs, layoffs, and worse bargaining power for railroad workers. They say that safety is going to be improved; and now we see hundreds of derailments a year."

Tomas Philipson

Former Acting Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and the Daniel Levin Professor of Public Policy Studies Emeritus at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Oct 28, 2025

"The American economy has thrived for more than two centuries because our markets are open, competitive and disciplined by consumer choice… When you remove that discipline — when a handful of big players carve up an industry — you don’t get capitalism; you get cartelization. That’s exactly what this merger threatens to bring to America’s rail system… For customers, especially those in the middle of the country who already rely on limited rail options, this would mean fewer routing choices, less leverage in negotiations, and upward price pressure."

Public Rail Now

Grassroots Campaign

Oct 28, 2025

"This is a public-interest crisis about who controls essential infrastructure: Wall Street or the American people… Combining two of the nation’s largest railroads would entrench monopoly control of U.S. freight corridors, reduce competition, accelerate automation and de-skilling, and further weaken rail labor."

Bruce Williamson

Georgia State Representative, Majority Caucus Chairman

Oct 22, 2025

"As a legislator who consistently champions free enterprise and fair competition, I am deeply troubled that this merger could leave many American businesses—particularly those in smaller communities—without viable rail alternatives. The result would be a new generation of captive customers facing higher costs, service disruptions, and diminished access to markets."

American Economic Liberties Project

Oct 20, 2025

"[T]his merger would reduce competition in the rail industry, create service and shipping delays, increase prices for shippers, hurt workers, and threaten the viability of many independent businesses."

Steve Hurst

Alabama State Representative

Oct 20, 2025

"…I’m concerned about the news that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to merge. These are two of the biggest railroads in the country, and putting that much control in the hands of one company could make it harder for small communities like ours to compete. When competition goes down, costs tend to go up, and that eventually lands on the shoulders of our local businesses and families."

Jeff Whitaker

Mayor of Greenville, Ohio

Oct 15, 2025

"The proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern—two of the nation's largest rail carriers—raises serious concerns about the potential for reduced competition and diminished service reliability… Here in Greenville, we take pride in being a community that attracts investment and supports small business growth. A balanced, competitive rail network is essential to preserving that momentum."

Tim DeLand

Councilman for the Village of North Star, Ohio

Oct 15, 2025

"…[The merger] would reduce competition across the freight rail industry and present challenges to regional economies. Consolidating services under a single supplier can lead to congestion and supply chain disruptions, causing ripple effects across communities that result in slower services for manufacturers, small businesses, and residents alike."

Ryan Delk

Safety/Service Director for the City of Greenville, Ohio

Oct 15, 2025

"The proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern raises serious safety concerns. Reduced competition often leads to slower response times, longer blockages at crossings, and less investment in maintenance and communication systems. These challenges directly impact first responders and increase risks to residents and motorists. Our police, fire, and EMS teams depend on reliable coordination with rail operators to respond quickly and protect lives."

Brett Heinz

Revolving Door Project Newsletter

Oct 14, 2025

"The proposed merger deal is not popular among the companies who rely on railroads to transport their goods… While past rail mergers have been financially lucrative for the companies involved, they have often resulted in worse service, inadequate maintenance, greater safety risks, fewer good union jobs, and reduced competition that allows the rail companies to squeeze consumers and small businesses."

Donna Skipper

President of Republican Women of East Alabama

Oct 7, 2025

"[Antitrust] laws were intended to protect farmers, shippers, and consumers from the whims of railroad barons who dictated prices and routes. Today, despite more than a century of legal precedent, we risk returning to an era where a handful of executives determine who has access to the nation's economic arteries."

Diana Moss

Vice President and Director of Competition Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute

Aug 11, 2025

"[The merger] would distort competitive dynamics…BNSF and CSX, which independently serve the western and eastern U.S., respectively, would be facing off against a larger, integrated single-line monopolist that would have strong incentives to frustrate interline service that could ice out either or both rivals. This means weaker competition, higher freight rates, lower quality service and other anticompetitive effects."

Saint Paul Commodities

Dec 4, 2025

"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

Nov 10, 2025

"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

Oct 15, 2025

"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

Oct 8, 2025

"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

Sep 23, 2025

"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

Sep 22, 2025

"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

Aug 27, 2025

"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

Aug 27, 2025

"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."

Rail Cents Enterprises

Aug 18, 2025

"Further consolidation of the American rail network is the opposite of what is required in order to grow rail revenue and profit…The general economy is stimulated by more degrees of freedom, not more monolithic structure."

American Chemistry Council

Oct 16, 2025

On Behalf of More Than 190 Member Companies

"Fewer railroads mean fewer transportation options, and past rail mergers make it clear that this merger threatens to make our U.S. manufacturing sites less competitive with the rest of the world… Past mergers have led to severe service disruptions, rising rates, weakened supply chains and a less competitive U.S. industrial base. We have no doubt that combining UP and NS into the nation’s largest railroad will make these problems worse..."

National Industrial Transportation League

Jul 29, 2025

On Behalf of 60 Member Companies

"NITL has been on the record wanting no more rail mergers… [S]hippers oppose continued consolidation in the rail industry based on past experiences resulting in increased rates, higher fees, and unreliable service."

South Dakota Corn Growers Association

Dec 4, 2025

"[P]ast declines in rail competition likely impacted the closures of rural elevators as many of those small and mid-sized elevators did not have shuttle-train loading capacity. Thus, we fear that UP-NS focus on high-density lanes will have similar effect leading ultimately to lower margins for farmers."

National Association of Waterfront Employers

Dec 1, 2025

On Behalf of 57 Member Companies

"Intermodal rail expansion is and will be critical to support port and terminal development on a regional basis and will impact a huge percentage of the businesses operating through the marine terminal system. We are greatly concerned as to whether a reduction of two of the four major remaining competitors offering intermodal rail service will serve to benefit our industry."

Montana Petroleum Association

Oct 9, 2025

On Behalf of 150 Member Companies

"Past rail mergers have demonstrated the dangers of unchecked consolidation: limited routing options, service disruptions, and higher transportation costs for captive shippers. With just four Class I railroads now controlling more than 90 percent of the nation’s freight traffic, a merger of this scale could further erode competitive access particularly in rural and energy-producing states like Montana, where alternatives are already limited."

Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division

Sep 22, 2025

On Behalf of More Than 30,000 Member Companies

"[Until workers are protected] [w]e’re not going to support [the merger]. In fact, we’ll vehemently deny [an agreement with UP]."

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers

Sep 16, 2025

On Behalf of 450 Member Companies

"AFPM has serious concerns with further consolidation in the U.S. freight rail system and how it will impact American refiners, petrochemical manufacturers and our customers. Our members’ ability to produce the fuels and petrochemicals our economy needs to thrive depends on timely and affordable rail service. Therefore, we are looking to the STB to prioritize freight rail competition so service improves for all shippers."

International Warehouse Logistics Association

Aug 15, 2025

On Behalf of 500 Member Companies

"[The merger] would leave many 3PL warehouses and their customers with fewer choices, less leverage, and diminished service quality."

Railroad Workers United

Aug 6, 2025

"[Rail mergers] have more often than not been fraught with inefficiencies, confusion, service disruptions, clogged terminals, staffing shortages, exhausted workers, and general malaise… the Union Pacific absorption of the Southern Pacific 30 years ago resulted in a total meltdown of the combined railroads, taking months if not years to recover from."

Ed Dowell

President, American Train Dispatchers Association

Jul 30, 2025

On Behalf of More Than 2,600 Members

"[A]ny further consolidation of Class I railroads could not only have a negative impact on our members and their families, but on the nation’s supply chains and rail infrastructure."

Alliance for Chemical Distribution

Jul 29, 2025

On Behalf of 400 Member Companies

"The chemical distribution industry relies on freight rail to deliver the products essential to Americans’ everyday lives. Following prior rail mergers, freight rail has not served the needs of its customers who inevitably pay increasingly high rates for unreliable and inadequate service… Freight rail is already highly concentrated, and further consolidation will exacerbate existing challenges while expanding the rail industry’s market power and profit margins."

Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

Jul 29, 2025

On Behalf of More Than 10,000 Members

"This proposed merger may look impressive on paper; but we’ve seen how consolidation often plays out in the real world. Cuts to staffing, rushed integrations, and top-down decisions that ignore the craft-knowledge of railroaders are a recipe for diminished safety and growing distrust."

Transport Workers Union of America

Jul 29, 2025

On Behalf of More Than 160,000 Members

"The Transport Workers Union of America strongly opposes the planned merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern and urges federal regulators, lawmakers, shippers, and unions to block the deal. Union Pacific has a shameful safety record and was caught by the federal government trying to meddle in a safety audit. There is no world where Union Pacific should be controlling a coast-to-coast rail network. A supersized Union Pacific would be catastrophic for TWU rail workers, shippers, and the safety of millions of Americans who live and work near freight rail lines."

Ray Griffin

Owner of Cochiara Marina, Lafitte, Louisianna

Nov 13, 2025

"As a small business owner for 10 years, I've seen the effect large consolidations can have on small business operations. Poorly executed rail mergers slow service and cause congestion, disrupting the supply chain and our ability to get products to customers – and it's the mom-and-pop stores and new business trying to get on their feet like mine, who feel it the most."

Mike Beardslee

Farmer, Missouri

Nov 13, 2025

"When harvest hits, timing is everything… Without dependable rail service, things back up fast. Delays cost money, and when freight rates climb, it eats into already thin margins. That hits small towns hard, not just farmers, but grain elevators, truckers, fertilizer suppliers, seed dealers. Fewer railroads mean fewer options. And when there's less competition, there's less incentive for service to improve or prices to stay reasonable."

Trey Santos

Rancher, Texas

Nov 13, 2025

"I am concerned about the impact this merger will have on competition…If this merger is approved, the two companies would create a near duopoly, further reducing competition and leaving farmers with fewer options and higher costs at a time when margins are already razor thin and railroad companies are already hard to find."

Zach Bevins

Owner of Bevins Renovations, St. Louis, Missouri

Nov 13, 2025

"If this merger goes through, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would control a significant share of the freight rail market—effectively creating a near duopoly. That kind of market dominance stifles competition and often leads to rising transportation costs. When those costs climb, they're eventually passed down to the customer, making essential goods and services more expensive for everyone."

Sunny Black

Small Business Owner, Madison, Alabama

Nov 13, 2025

"As a small business owner, I have seen firsthand the consequences that large consolidations can have on operations across the supply chain. When major rail mergers are poorly executed, service slows, congestion increases, and small businesses like mine bear the brunt of the disruption. These challenges ripple through our local economies, especially impacting small manufacturers and mom-and-pop businesses that lack alternative shipping options..."

Parker Ward

Owner of Swamp Fire Seasoning, Shreveport, Lousianna

Nov 13, 2025

"Poorly executed rail mergers slow service and cause congestion, disrupting the supply chain and our ability to get products to customers—and it's the mom-and-pop stores and new business trying to get on their feet like mine, who feel it the most. If the merger is approved, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would form a near duopoly. This would be detrimental to competition. And competition is the backbone of our economic system in America."

John Johnson

Farmer, Montgomery County, Missouri

Nov 13, 2025

"When transportation becomes more expensive or unreliable, the impact on agriculture is immediate and significant. These kinds of changes don't just affect big companies; they put pressure on independent farmers, strain rural economies, and can lead to long-term damage for communities that rely on farming… Fewer carriers mean fewer choices and higher costs-and that's not a burden we can afford to carry."

Justin Hollis

Rancher, Texas

Nov 13, 2025

"When harvest hits, timing is everything… Without dependable rail service, things back up fast. Delays cost money, and when freight rates climb, it eats into already thin margins. That hits small towns hard, not just farmers, but grain elevators, truckers, fertilizer suppliers, seed dealers. Fewer railroads mean fewer options. And when there's less competition, there's less incentive for service to improve or prices to stay reasonable."

Brennan Kucera

Rancher, Texas

Nov 13, 2025

"My family has been ranching in Texas for generations. We rely heavily on freight rail to move essential goods to bring our crops or livestock to market and ensure we can compete globally… If this merger is approved, the two companies would create a near duopoly, further reducing competition and leaving farmers with fewer options and higher costs at a time when margins are already razor thin."

Vinny Oliver

Pecan Farmer, Texas

Nov 13, 2025

"My family has been farming pecans in Texas for generations. We rely heavily on freight rail to move essential goods to bring our crops to market and ensure we can compete globally. When rail service falters…it creates ripple effects across the entire supply chain. These changes can be the difference between a profitable season or closing the doors on a farm that has sustained the community for generations… If this merger is approved, the two companies would create a near duopoly, further reducing competition and leaving farmers with fewer options and higher costs at a time when margins are already razor thin."

Charlie Buckels

Small Business Owner

Nov 13, 2025

"My decades long business experience has enabled me to understand the importance of supply chain management and availability, especially for small business. For that reason I believe the proposed UP-NS merger presents a great amount of uncertainty and a likely increase in transportation cost."

Travis DeCock

Owner of DeCock Services, LLC

Nov 13, 2025

"Poorly executed rail mergers slow service and cause congestion, disrupting the supply chain and our ability to get products to customers—and it's the mom-and-pop stores and new business trying to get on their feet like mine, who feel it the most. If the merger is approved, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would form a near duopoly. This would be detrimental to competition. And competition is the backbone of our economic system in America."

Gabe Freeman

Resident of Bossier, Louisianna

Nov 13, 2025

"In Bossier, produce and beef are king and many of the farmers throughout the great state of Louisiana rely on the railroad for distribution. We need to protect consumers and prevent rail industry consolidation from leading to higher costs and weaker service."

Ben Terrill

Business Consultant, Missouri

Nov 13, 2025

"Businesses like mine depend on reliable rail service to ship the supplies we need to operate and deliver our products to customers. As a small business owner for several years, I’ve seen the effect large consolidations can have on small business operations. Poorly executed rail mergers slow service and cause congestion, disrupting the supply chain and our ability to get products to customers – and it’s the mom-and-pop stores who are impacted the most."

Rob Salvino

Goods Distribution Professional, Missouri

Nov 10, 2025

"We have reason to be distrustful [of claimed benefits] because we have already gone through this exercise many times before. They say that they’re going to grow volumes; they never grow volumes. They say that workers jobs are going to be preserved; and we see furloughs, layoffs, and worse bargaining power for railroad workers. They say that safety is going to be improved; and now we see hundreds of derailments a year."

David Renard

Resident, Missouri

Nov 13, 2025

"I'm writing as a lifelong Missourian who is concerned about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. While this may look like a business decision on paper, its real-world consequences could be felt in every corner of Missouri, from family dinner tables to farm fields to factory floors… Mergers like this one often reduce options for shippers, leading to higher transportation costs that ripple through the entire economy."

Andy Hedge

Small Business Owner, Alabama

Oct 29, 2025

"If this merger goes through, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would control most of the rail network. That kind of dominance leaves very little room for competition, and when competition drops, costs go up. Eventually, those higher costs trickle down to customers — and everyone feels it."

Kelly Reese

Small Business Owner, Alabama

Oct 25, 2025

"As an entrepreneur, I’ve built my business from the ground up with a lot of hard work, determination, and not a lot of extra cushion. When large corporations merge and competition disappear, it’s small, independent businesses — especially those that are minority- or women-owned — that end up paying the price. Shipping delays, higher costs, and less reliable service hit us directly, while big companies can usually absorb the impact."

Mike and Rachel Fearon

Farmers and Small Business Owners, Ohio

Oct 22, 2025

"This proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would form a near duopoly and be detrimental to competition. Businesses like ours depend on reliable rail service to ship the supplies we need to operate; farms like ours require consistent transport of our crops. Poorly executed rail mergers slow service and cause congestion, disrupting the supply chain and our ability to get products to customers..."

Kevin Selhorst

Owner of North Star Hardware & Implement, Ohio

Oct 22, 2025

"Consolidating two companies of this size would create an even tighter grip on the market, pushing the freight rail industry closer to a duopoly. For business owners like me who rely on dependable affordable shipping across sectors that means fewer choices and greater risk…Rail is more than a logistical system—it is the backbone of local economies and we cannot afford changes that weaken competition or compromise safety."

Marvin Harrell

Owner of Harrell Custom Clothes, Birmingham, Alabama

Oct 22, 2025

"…I know from experience that these mergers often bring more challenges than benefits. As an African American entrepreneur, I understand what it takes to build something from the ground up—often with fewer resources and steeper hills to climb. When large corporations merge and competition fades, it’s the small, independent businesses—many of them minority-owned—that get squeezed the hardest. Delays, higher shipping costs, and unreliable service can hit us in ways big companies barely feel."

Marcie Stammen

Small Business Owner, Ohio

Oct 21, 2025

"When rail competition weakens, service suffers. Shipping costs rise, options shrink, and delays increase. Those burdens don't just hit businesses—they ripple through the supply chain until families feel them directly in the form of higher prices for groceries, household goods, and other essentials. I am a capitalist, which is why I am concerned about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern…Consolidating two companies of this size would create an even tighter grip on the market..."

Kennedie Goubeaux

Resident of Russia, Ohio

Oct 20, 2025

"Without strong safeguards, this merger risks creating even greater concentration of power in an industry already dominated by a few players. For communities like Greenville, [Ohio] that could mean fewer choices, more costs for small businesses, and additional strain on working families."

Adam Stewart

Owner of Sweet Brew, Alabama

Oct 15, 2025

"If this merger goes through, it will put even more control into the hands of just a couple of rail companies. Less competition usually means higher prices and fewer choices, especially for businesses like ours that don't have the leverage of a large corporation."

Joseph Summers

Owner of Minerva Defense, Huntsville, Alabama

Oct 15, 2025

"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."

Dr. Jon Davis

Dentist, Ohio

Oct 14, 2025

"Most people don’t immediately think about railroads when they think about dentistry, but like many small-town professionals, I depend on a reliable supply chain…That’s why I’m deeply concerned about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern… Mergers of this scale have real consequences. When competition is reduced, service often declines, costs rise, and the ripple effects are felt far beyond the rail yard."

Dr. Gregory McGlinch

President of Down Home Farms, Ohio

Oct 13, 2025

"When rail service falters – whether through higher rates, reduced options, or poorly executed mergers – it creates ripple effects across the entire supply chain. These changes can be the difference between a profitable season or closing the doors on a farm that has sustained the community for generations… I am concerned about the impact this merger will have on competition."

Rob Davis

Resident of Troy, Ohio

Oct 13, 2025

"Through my career in business, I've seen firsthand how critical reliable and affordable freight rail is to both large and small operations across our state…History has shown that major consolidations often lead to slower service, higher shipping costs, and fewer options for companies trying to stay competitive. Those costs don't stop at the loading dock—they ultimately affect everyday consumers through higher prices for groceries, fuel, and other essentials."

Matt Armbruster

Owner of Ransom Recycling, Mobile, Alabama

Oct 12, 2025

"This proposed merger could have serious negative consequences for small businesses like mine that depend on reliable rail service to receive supplies and deliver products efficiently and on time. As a small business owner, I have seen firsthand how large consolidations can disrupt operations throughout the supply chain. … These disruptions ripple through local economies, especially hurting small manufacturers and family run operations that lack the leverage or flexibility to find alternative shipping options."

Bill Coomer

Businessman, Ohio

Oct 12, 2025

"…I am deeply concerned about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. As someone who has run businesses across different industries, I know firsthand what happens when rail competition is reduced. Service slows, costs rise, and delays cascade across every part of the supply chain."

Blair Blacker

Owner of Setatech, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama

Oct 10, 2025

"As a small business owner, I have seen firsthand the consequences that large consolidations can have on operations across the supply chain. When major rail mergers are poorly executed, service slows, congestion increases, and small businesses like mine bear the brunt of the disruption. These challenges ripple through our local economies, especially impacting small manufacturers and mom-and-pop businesses that lack alternative shipping options."

Aaron and Betsy Ward

Owners A&B Coffee & Cake Co., Ohio

Oct 10, 2025

"We recently learned of plans for Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, two of the nation’s largest railroads, to merge. For businesses like ours, that’s not just a news headline—it’s a real concern. We’ve seen what happens when rail service falters: deliveries are delayed, costs spike, and small businesses like ours are left scrambling to keep the doors open."

Bill Knapke

Farmer, Ohio

Oct 10, 2025

"As a multi-generational small family farmer, I understand the importance of freight rail… I am deeply concerned about the effect this [merger] will have on compeititon… Agriculture depends on a fair and competitive rail system, and we cannot afford changes that further erode it."

Megan Schmitmeyer

Farmer, Ohio

Oct 9, 2025

"As a multi-generational small family farmer, I understand the importance of freight rail… When rail service suffers—whether through rising rates, fewer options, or poorly structured mergers—the ripple effects spread across the supply chain…I am deeply concerned about the effect this will have on competition."

Joyce Long

Resident of Greenville, Ohio

Oct 8, 2025

"In Greenville, Ohio, rail has always been more than just a line on a map—it's the backbone of local commerce… Through the years, I saw what happens when competition in the rail industry is diminished. Reduced competition usually means slower service, higher shipping costs and fewer options for businesses. Those costs never stop at the factory gate—they trickle down, raising prices for everyday families in the form of more expensive groceries and essentials."

Eric Hare

CEO of Global K9 Protection Group, Opelika, Alabama

Oct 6, 2025

"If this merger is approved, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would create what amounts to a near duopoly, further reducing competition. Less competition in rail service almost always leads to higher costs across the board. And when businesses can’t absorb those costs, they inevitably trickle down to consumers — the people who can least afford to pay more for essential goods."

Amanda Suffecool

Business Owner Manufacturing Professional, Ohio

Oct 5, 2025

"When rail competition weakens, service suffer. Shipping costs rise, options shrink, and delays increase. Those burdens don't just hit businesses, they ripple through the supply chain until families feel them directly in the form of higher prices for groceries, household goods and other essentials."

Frank Granberry

Farmer, Alabama

Oct 4, 2025

"When rail service struggles…it doesn’t just hurt farmers. It sends shockwaves through the entire supply chain. For folks like us, those changes can mean the difference between a food year and shutting the gates on a farm that’s supported our family and our community for decades… These are two of the largest rail companies in the country, and if this deal goes through, it would leave even fewer options for shippers like us."

Matthew Aultman

Farmer, Ohio

Oct 3, 2025

"I am concerned about the impact this merger will have on competition. The freight rail industry is already dominated by a small number of players. If this merger is approved the two companies. would create a near duopoly, further reducing competition and leaving farmers with fewer options and higher costs at a time when margins are already razor thin."

Kent Davis

Owner of Davis Camper Sales, Ohio

Oct 2, 2025

"As a small business owner with more than 50 years of experience, I’ve witnessed firsthand the consequences of large railroad consolidations. When mergers are poorly executed, service slows, congestion worsens, and the supply chain suffers. In the end, it is often the small, family-run businesses that bear the brunt of these disruptions."

Penny Treon

Resident of Versailles, Ohio

Oct 2, 2025

"We need to make sure consumers are protected and that rail industry consolidation does not come at the expense of small businesses or working families. When Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern formally file, I urge the Surface Transportation Board to carefully consider the impact on communities like Versailles and ensure that any conditions placed on this merger truly safeguard competition and safety."

Lochiel Edwards

Third-Generation Wheat Farmer, Montana

Sep 23, 2025

"History has I think proven that mergers are fraught with disruption…There will be disruption in the networks…But my primary concern for Montana agriculture is that…[the merger] will increase…what I call ‘extractive railroading.’ In other words, [railroads] cut back on cost, investing less, and sending more to the stockholders…"