Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern defend rail merger application as STB review advances

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said Thursday that their proposed combination has met the Surface Transportation Board’s threshold requirements, urging regulators to reject opponents’ preliminary challenges and proceed with a full review of the transaction. In a response filing, the railroads said their application contains extensive evidence developed over months of work and provides the STB with sufficient information to determine that the merger is consistent with the public interest. The companies characterized the opposition’s challenges as efforts to derail the transaction before the board can evaluate its proposed benefits in full. The filing follows the STB’s Aug. 18 issuance of a procedural schedule for the merger proceeding.