Two of the nation’s six major railways could soon join forces, according to published reports that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are in merger talks to create the largest railroad in North America and connect the east and west coasts in a single network.
Neither Union Pacific nor Norfolk Southern had any comment on the report.
If consummated, that merger would follow another major rail company combination in the sector, after Canadian Pacific in 2023 won a bidding war to acquire Kansas City Southern for $31 billion, creating a single company called CPKC that operates a north-south network connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Such a deal would also follow on months of negative headlines for Norfolk Southern, which came under harsh criticism for its handling of a toxic chemical spill after a train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023.
Approval for the mega-merger would have to come from federal regulators including the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
