Industry publication for railway transport specialists

Surface Transportation Board (STB)

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern locomotives during the proposed merger review

02.09.2026

UP-NS merger review participation deadline extended

Aerial view of the East Palestine derailment site in February 2023

28.08.2026

East Palestine vent and burn risk models revealed

Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific freight trains on parallel tracks

27.08.2026

Job Data Went Public. UP-NS Emission Data Has Not.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern locomotives during the proposed merger review

02.09.2026

UP-NS merger review participation deadline extended

The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger review now gives parties until Sept. 30 to file notices of intent to participate, following the Surface Transportation Board’s extension of the previous Sept.
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific freight trains on parallel tracks

27.08.2026

Job Data Went Public. UP-NS Emission Data Has Not.

USA: The Natural Resources Defense Council has asked the Surface Transportation Board to strip the “highly confidential” label from UP-NS emission data, using the same argument that pried open the railroads’ employee numbers a month earlier.
Union Pacific freight locomotives on tracks in Portland, Oregon

26.08.2026

STB orders unfiltered workpapers in UP-NS review

USA: The Surface Transportation Board ordered Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to submit unfiltered workpapers behind their merger analyses by August 28, saying its decision reflects no view on the merits.
UP-NS merger application moves into STB review

19.08.2026

STB Restarts UP–NS Review — and Demands Unfiltered Data

USA: The $85 billion UP–NS merger review has restarted, but STB also ordered the railroads to submit unfiltered datasets and refused fast-track treatment for their TRRA plans.
Amtrak Southwest Chief at Kansas City Union Station at night

16.08.2026

US Railway News: FRA Splits $5.3bn Across 23 States

USA: This concise weekly review presents a selection of US railway news published from August 10 to August 16, 2026: federal funding awards, freight regulation and passenger service changes.
A Union Pacific freight locomotive hauling autorack cars

16.08.2026

Shippers Ask STB to Reject UP-NS Merger Outright

USA: Six major rail-customer organizations aren't asking regulators to scrutinize the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger more closely — they're asking the Surface Transportation Board to kill it now, before a full review even begins.
Aerial view of freight cars and intermodal containers at the Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard.

12.08.2026

Global Rail Freight Weekly Review: August 6–12, 2026

INTERNATIONAL: This concise weekly review presents a selection of rail freight news published from August 6 to August 12, 2026: traffic records, policy changes, new services and infrastructure projects.
BNSF locomotive 8215 leading a freight train in San Diego, California

11.08.2026

BNSF Asks STB to Deny Amended UP-NS Merger Application

USA: BNSF Railway has asked the Surface Transportation Board to deny the amended UP-NS merger application, arguing that it still fails the agency’s enhanced-competition test under the 2001 major-merger rules.
UP-NS merger application moves into STB review

11.08.2026

What UP–NS’s Expanded Merger Remedies Actually Cover

USA: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have nearly doubled the traffic eligible for one of their proposed merger protections, but the larger number does not mean that 257,971 carloads would receive lower rates or a competitive benefit.
BNSF freight train passing through San Diego, California.

08.08.2026

BNSF Says UP–NS Merger Remedies Leave Shipper Gaps

USA: BNSF is challenging the latest UP–NS merger remedies, arguing that expanded pricing, switching and dispute-resolution protections still cover too little freight traffic to offset the proposed deal’s competitive impact.
Metro-North M8 train arriving at Bridgeport station beneath New Haven Line catenary.

04.08.2026

US Railway News Weekly Review: July 29–August 4, 2026

USA: This concise weekly review presents a selection of US railway news published from July 29 to August 4, 2026: passenger transport, infrastructure renewal, freight operations and regulation.
Aerial view of freight cars and intermodal containers at the Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard.

04.08.2026

STB Tightens Oversight as Clearing Yard Dwell Jumps

USA: The Surface Transportation Board has directed expanded weekly reporting at Chicago’s Clearing Yard after railcar inventory rose 57% and average dwell climbed 72% year over year.