The Makings of a Railroad Merger

After SMART-TD first sounded the alarm in May, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern officially confirmed their merger plans on July 29, 2025.

The question now becomes: what happens next?

Simply merging two Class I railroads isn’t easy; it involves multiple steps that can take years to finalize.

How a Merger Becomes Official  

The Surface Transportation Board (STB), which is tasked with approving any major merger request, has a timeline that outlines what’s involved in the sometimes-lengthy process.  

Merger Timeline ► 
 
Federal law requires that Class I railroad mergers must be formally submitted to the STB for review.

A few of the key steps include:  

• Application: After the STB acknowledges that it has received the carriers’ prefiling notification, the actual application is filed three to six months later.  

• Comments Due: The STB accepts public comments for 45 days once a completed application is accepted. This is an opportunity to provide information and opinions for the Board to consider. If it chooses, the Board can simply reject an application.  

• Record Building: Any additional evidence, including rebuttals, hearings and final legal briefs, are gathered to build a record for the Board to consider. This process can take up to a year from the time the application is accepted to the time the Board decides the record is complete (Evidence Close). 

• Board Decision: 90 days after the Evidence Close, the Board issues a decision on the primary application. If approved, the Board is responsible for oversight of the merger implementation.  

SMART-TD Leads Rail Workers’ Opposition

SMART-TD is opposed to this merger, and we will continue to emphasize our concerns when the application comes before the Surface Transportation Board for approval.

We are committed to keeping our members informed and updated as the process gets underway. Stay with SMART News for the latest Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger developments.