What Does an $85B Railroad Merger Have to Do with Montana?

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to file revised merger application April 30

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What does an $85B railroad merger have to do with Montana?

Last month, the host of the Montana Talks morning radio show spent a 10-minute segment interviewing a BNSF Railway official about the companys opposition to a proposed merger between two rival railroads.To even the most well-informed listener, the segment may have been the first time they heard about the plan to combine the railroads, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, into a coast-to-coast behemoth spanning more than 50,000 miles of track and …

What does an $85M railroad merger have to do with Montana?

Last month, the host of the “Montana Talks” morning radio show spent a 10-minute segment interviewing a BNSF Railway official about the company’s opposition to a proposed merger between two rival railroads. To even the most well-informed listener, the segment may have been the first time they heard about the plan to combine the railroads, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, into a coast-to-coast behemoth spanning more than 50,000 miles of track …

Knudsen voices concerns about rail competitiveness as Union Pacific eyes merger

Saying it was at odds with President Trump’s economic policy, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen penned a letter last week to the federal Department of Justice asking it to look at an $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk…

Ag industry, elected officials continue to raise concerns about proposed railroad merger

While the Surface Transportation Board in January rejected an application seeking to merge Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railroads, the merger is still alive, raising concerns from the agriculture industry and elected officials that the company formed in such a merger could have negative impacts on the ag supply chain. The two railroad companies in July 2025 announced "an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. These …

Knudsen Leads Multi-State Coalition Urging Federal Review of Rail Merger

Austin Knudsen is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to review a proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway, citing concerns the deal could reduce competition and increase costs for American businesses and consumers. Knudsen led a coalition of state attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division… Source