The UP–Norfolk Southern merger is shaping up as the central topic at the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) winter meeting, where railroad executives and customers gather.

Union Pacific in $85B Norfolk talks with Trump
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern logos are seen in this illustration taken August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

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

The conference is set for the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) 2026 Winter Meeting at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois. It opens with a reception on Tuesday evening, Jan. 13, and runs through midday Thursday, Jan. 15.

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Speakers and schedule at the MARS winter meeting

The speaker list brings together leaders who have taken clearly different stances on the proposed transaction. CPKC CEO Keith Creel and BNSF CEO Katie Farmer—both of whom have come out against the merger—are scheduled to appear on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena is slated to give the morning keynote on Thursday.

Keynote sessions also include Janet Drysdale, chief commercial officer at Canadian National, and Christopher Kuehl, founder and managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence.

Short lines, regional railroads, and industry panel

Short line and regional railroads are well represented at the MARS winter meeting. R.J. Corman Railroad Group CEO Justin Broyles; Jon Carnes, CEO of Transtar and the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway; Michael Miller, CEO of Genesee & Wyoming; and Joe Parsons, CEO of Iowa Interstate are set to join a panel moderated by Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

The wider rail industry lineup includes Anthony B. Hatch, president of ABH Consulting; Association of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies; James Pearce, vice president, people solutions, and Christian Rowe, vice president, development, at supply chain firm Savage; Alex Peiffer, chief operating officer at autonomous railcar startup Intramotev; and Lorie Tekorius, CEO of The Greenbrier Cos.

Shipper perspectives and registration details

From the shippers’ side, the program lists Mike Barth, vice president, transportation and logistics at United Sugar Producers and Refiners, along with Katie Beardslee Kloentrup, senior digital mine engineer at mining company Carmeuse.

Registration remains open for the MARS winter meeting. Rooms are still available at the overflow hotel, the Embassy Suites Schaumburg, with further information provided on the association’s website.

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