Business
BNSF Railway Files Petition Requesting STB to Enforce, Review Union Pacific/Southern Pacific Merger Conditions From Three Decades Ago
FORT WORTH, Texas, December 01, 2025--BNSF Railway today announced the Class I railroad has filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), requesting the immediate review and enforcement of conditions imposed during the Union Pacific (UP) and Southern Pacific (SP) merger nearly 30 years ago.
About this update from Norfolk Southern Corporation
[{"type":"image","alt":"","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"","credit":null,"className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":1536,"height":285,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/551474a988bcc8e9cf2b4df0b7b20a38"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/uYU_ExR7PuP2suMGlU2JDA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE3ODtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/551474a988bcc8e9cf2b4df0b7b20a38","width":960,"height":178},"lightbox":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/.duaD5yIbfUEp7RzPOcWRw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD00NDY7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/551474a988bcc8e9cf2b4df0b7b20a38","width":1200,"height":223}},"lazy":false},{"type":"text","content":"Urgency of request heightened by UP’s recent announcement of another proposed merger","length":84,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"FORT WORTH, Texas, December 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BNSF Railway today announced the Class I railroad has filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), requesting the immediate review and enforcement of conditions imposed during the Union Pacific (UP) and Southern Pacific (SP) merger nearly 30 years ago.","length":324,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The petition seeks to address UP’s longstanding pattern of obstructive conduct, which has eroded competition and harmed customers.","length":130,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Since the UP/SP merger of 1996, the UP has repeatedly resisted efforts to preserve competitive rail service, despite conditions established by the STB to protect shippers. BNSF has worked diligently to uphold these rights through negotiations, oversight, and formal petitions, yet UP’s obstruction has left many customers with fewer service options than before the merger.","length":372,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""With UP now proposing another unprecedented merger, this time with Norfolk Southern, the stakes for shippers nationwide could not be higher," said BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Jill Mulligan. "Before considering any new consolidation, we ask the board to ensure the commitments made during the UP/SP merger are honored, and that competition is, at a minimum, preserved as required under the prior merger standards."","length":460,"tagN...