Norfolk Southern Union Pacific merger worries Chesterton officials

The Norfolk Southern Union Pacific merger is getting a close look in Chesterton, where local officials say the deal could bring heavier freight rail traffic through Chesterton.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Chesterton Town Council member James Ton, R–1st District, brought up the issue at Monday’s Redevelopment Commission meeting. If the merger goes through, he said, the town could end up with more daily train movements than its infrastructure can comfortably handle. “There’s going to be more trains through here than we got rails,” Ton said.

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Chesterton already sees substantial rail activity. The town’s 1.14-mile rail corridor averages 85 trains per day. Most run on the twin Norfolk Southern tracks that cut through the center of town just north of Broadway. CSX also has its own line in the area, and those CSX tracks are shared by Amtrak.

Ton said Union Pacific trains come through Chesterton as well, usually on weekends. He suspects that is when Union Pacific rents access to Norfolk Southern’s line.

Surface Transportation Board merger application

The proposal has now moved into the federal review process. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern recently filed a Surface Transportation Board merger application with the Surface Transportation Board. If approved, the companies say the deal would create the first coast-to-coast freight service in the United States. The same coast-to-coast argument is also discussed in Railway Supply coverage of the proposed UP–NS combination.

Norfolk Southern operates a network across 22 eastern states, while Union Pacific covers 23 western states. Shareholders have described the potential merger as an economic benefit, but it has also faced opposition from trade groups, unions, and competitor Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

Calumet Road crossing safety concerns

In Chesterton, the discussion quickly shifts to Calumet Road railroad crossing safety and the day-to-day risk for pedestrians. Chesterton and neighboring Porter have 11 railroad crossings, and nine of them involve pedestrian traffic.

Since May 2023, three pedestrians have been killed by trains. The most recent death occurred on Feb. 28, 2025, when a bicyclist at the Calumet Road crossing failed to realize two trains were passing each other.

Town officials consider the Calumet Road crossing, near the center of Chesterton, a particular concern. Over the summer, the town opened a new parking lot on Grant Avenue just north of the tracks by Calumet Road. The lot has been popular with visitors to the European Market, held on Saturdays from May through October. Officials say that added foot traffic across the tracks increases the potential danger.

Z-gate pedestrian crossing plans

The town has installed fencing near the parking lot and posted signs, and it is also moving toward additional measures. The Redevelopment Commission approved moving forward with a Z-gate pedestrian crossing at Calumet Road. The design makes pedestrians approach the tracks in a zig-zag pattern, prompting them to look both ways.

Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek said Monday that the town is beginning the permitting process with the railroad to allow the Z-gates to be built. He added that he does not expect the work to be completed before the European Market resumes on Saturdays in May.

Chesterton officials say the railroad permitting process can take time. Ton suggested the pending merger may be affecting the pace. “I am suspecting the railroad is dragging their feet a little bit because they want to settle this merger one way or another,” he said.

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