Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. These legendary companies will seamlessly connect over 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast, linking approximately 100 ports and nearly every corner of North America. This combination will transform the U.S. supply chain, unleash the industrial strength of American manufacturing and create new sources of economic growth and workforce opportunity that preserves union jobs.

Statements of Support

Rob Maness

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel

Karen Gibler

President and CAO of the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska)

Tom Giovanetti

President of the Institute for Policy Innovation

Anthony Nussbaum

City Administrator of Falls City (Nebraska)

Kasey Carpenter

Georgia State Representative (District 4)

David Ozgo

President of Advocacy Analytics LLC and Senior Fellow at the Parkview Institute

Steve Sydow

Owner of SJS Electric (Ironton, Ohio)

Rick Johnson

Mayor of the City of Ottumwa (Iowa)

Mario H. Lopez

President of the Hispanic Leadership Fund

Kristen Walker

Policy Analyst with the American Consumer Institute

Derrell Hartwick

President and CEO of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce

Bobby Cox

South Carolina State Representative (District 21) and Chief Government Affairs Officer at SIG SAUER

Coalition of Free-Market Policy Organizations

Dave Wordekemper

Nebraska State Senator (District 15)

KC Graner

President and CEO of Central Farm Service

Preston Brashers

Research Fellow for Tax Policy at The Heritage Foundation

Brian Garst

Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity

Dawson Brunswick

President of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska)

Mike Moser

Nebraska State Senator (District 22) and Chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee

Jim Vokal

CEO of Platte Institute

Jeremy R. Ferguson

President of SMART-TD

Ashley Baker

Director of Public Policy at the Committee for Justice

Seth Gorman

Business Manager at Iron Workers Local 89

Bill Swan

President of Green Energy Midstream

Danielle Zanzalari

Assistant Professor of Economics at Seton Hall University

Armin Mizani

Mayor of Keller, Texas

Cajun Conservatism

Ken Kellaway

President and CEO of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics

Gjaneto Harusha

President of Dassler Domestic Logistics, Inc.

Ward Nye

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Martin Marietta

Louisiana Policy Review

Todd R. Bingham

President and CEO of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Frank Vingerhoets

President of Katoen Natie North America

Adam Miller

CEO of Knight-Swift Transportation

Abby Osborne

Chair of Utah Inland Port Authority and Chief of Staff for the Utah House of Representatives

Arturo Sanchez

President of Omni Transloading & Logistics and Omni Bulk Services

David Duncan

CEO of Duncan & Son Lines, Inc.

Matt Cundiff

President of Ironhorse Resources, Inc.

Richard Bertel

Chairman and CEO of Rio Grande Pacific Corp.

Chad Schreck

President and CEO of North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corp.

Fred Ashton

Director of Competition Policy at the American Action Forum

Richard A. Stern

Director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies and Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at the Heritage Foundation

George Landrith

President of Frontiers of Freedom Institute

Eric Gettemy

President of Logistical Data Services

Aiden Buzzetti

President of The Bull Moose Project

Charles Sauer

President of Market Institute

Dave Fellon

President and Owner of Progressive Rail, Inc.

Lance Malesh

President and CEO of MODE Global

Zach England

Chief Operating Officer of C.R. England

Chuck Marias

President of The Transload Group LLC

Jim Finley

Founder of Wildcat Midstream

Samuel Wright

President and CEO of Chickasha of Georgia

Kevin Stocker

Commissioner of the Nebraska Public Service Commission

Michael Gorman

Niehaus Chair in Operations and Analytics at the University of Dayton

Gene Seroka

Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles

David Blackmon

Public Policy Analyst

Ike Brannon

Senior Fellow at the Jack Kemp Foundation

Burt Jones

Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

Tyler Harper

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner

Phillip Yeager

President and CEO of Hub Group

Jim Pillen

Governor of Nebraska

Heath Mello

President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber

Pete Ricketts

U.S. Senator from Nebraska

Deb Fischer

U.S. Senator from Nebraska

John Ewing Jr.

Mayor of Omaha

“Railroads have been an integral part of building America since the Industrial Revolution, and this transaction is the next step in advancing the industry. Imagine seamlessly hauling steel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Colton, California, and moving tomato paste from Huron, California, to Fremont, Ohio. Lumber from the Pacific Northwest, plastics from the Gulf Coast, copper from Arizona and Utah, and soda ash from Wyoming. Right now, tens of thousands of railroaders are moving almost everything we use. You name it, and at some point, the railroad hauled it.”

Jim Vena union pacific ceo headshot
Jim Vena
CEO, Union Pacific

“We are confident that the power of Norfolk Southern’s franchise, diversified solutions, high-quality customers and partners, as well as skilled employees, will contribute meaningfully to America’s first transcontinental railroad, and to igniting rail’s ability to deliver for the whole American economy today and into the future. Union Pacific is a true partner that shares our belief in rail’s ability to deliver for all stakeholders simultaneously, and we are excited for our future together.”

Mark george Norfolk southern ceo headshot
Mark George
President and CEO, Norfolk Southern