Statement on UP’s Proposed Acquisition of NS

For Immediate Release (25-12)
July 29, 2025
Contact: Joe Aiello ([email protected])

Rail Passengers Association Statement on Union Pacific’s Proposed Acquisition of Norfolk Southern

Washington, DC – In response to reports that Union Pacific Corp. has agreed to acquire Norfolk Southern Corp., Rail Passengers Association President & CEO Jim Mathews issued the following statement:

“Our Association has full confidence that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) will carry out due diligence in exercising oversight over this proposed merger. The free movement of people and freight is of vital importance to our country and our economy, and we know that board members take this charge seriously.

“Frankly, America’s passengers and shippers have good reason to treat this news with skepticism. The past decade has seen Class I railroads steadily losing market share to trucking in pursuit of shareholder dividends. While that’s been good for Wall Street, it’s meant worse rail service for passengers and shippers in the rest of the country. Currently, both railroads are involved in oversight cases before the federal government for violating the legal rights of Amtrak passengers—Union Pacific before the STB and Norfolk Southern in U.S. District Court after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the company. The onus is on these companies to prove that this merger won’t simply exacerbate these problems—and we believe that is a very high bar to clear.

“Rail Passengers will be actively involved in protecting the rights of passengers as this proposal is examined by the STB.”

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About the Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, the non-profit Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.