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. 4 deadline.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern locomotives during the proposed merger review
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern locomotives. Photo: Union Pacific Railroad Company / Norfolk Southern Corp.

STB extends the participation deadline

STB chief counsel Anika S. Cooper announced the extension in a decision issued Monday, Aug. 31. The change followed an Aug. 26 request from the National League of Cities.

The organization said an estimated 12,000 local governments are in communities served by railroads and that many had not yet decided whether they would participate in the proceeding. It also noted that the original deadline was set on Aug. 18 and fell during a period that included summer vacations and the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The STB considered the request reasonable and granted the extension. All other deadlines established in the board’s Aug. 18 decision remain unchanged.

Don’t miss…Kyushu Shinkansen Reopening Planned for September 18

Context

The participation deadline is part of the procedural schedule the STB adopted on Aug. 18 for its review of the revised Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application. That decision removed the proceeding from abeyance and started the process of evaluating the proposed transaction on its merits. The Board stressed that the procedural decision itself did not constitute a ruling on whether the merger should ultimately be approved.

Participation in the merger review

Parties filing a notice of intent to participate receive copies of all filings in the proceeding and retain the ability to comment during the merger review.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Madrid Metro Line 6 driverless trains start night testing