"The new Union Pacific-CN agreement expands customer choice and strengthens North American freight rail. It also strengthens the case for the UP-NS merger by facilitating competition between Class I railroads. Regulators should welcome solutions that drive competition and enhance service for consumers."

"As a long-standing Union Pacific customer, we value the critical role rail plays in enabling efficient and reliable transportation across our supply chain. … The U.S. freight rail network is essential to our operations, allowing us to move high volumes with efficiency and sustainability."

"For businesses that rely on moving goods efficiently, every day matters. Josh Oakes, CEO of Pendleton Lumber Co., shares how a more seamless rail network will help reduce transit times and connect products with customers faster."

"Mergers often change how firms compete. Companies must adjust strategies, negotiate new commercial agreements, and look for ways to strengthen their position before regulators reach a final decision. The agreement between Union Pacific and CN is a good example. Union Pacific reached an agreement with CN that expands operating rights around Chicago, creates new Canada-Mexico service opportunities, and preserves competitive access across the North American rail network. Merger reviews must account for market responses which enhance competition. If the review process encouraged an agreement like this one, regulators are already seeing the market adapt in ways that expand customer choice and improve service. North American freight rail has always relied on competition alongside commercial cooperation. The Surface Transportation Board should recognize those outcomes and approve the first true transcontinental railroad in the United States. Moving freight off of highways would have an enormous environmental and safety benefit."

"The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger will now create a second seamless railroad from Canada to Mexico in addition to their own transcontinental network. UP struck a deal with CN to improve UP’s route through Chicago in exchange for expanding CN’s access to Mexico. CN has vowed to stop their opposition to the merger as a condition of this agreement. A stronger, more robust, supply chain results."

"Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern project that the faster and cheaper transit times made possible by their merger will allow the rail industry to win back 2.1 million truckloads from roadways, saving shippers $3.5 billion annually on top of reduced wear to highways—which taxpayers pay for. The argument for the merger is further enhanced by a new deal with Canadian National, which will give the merged company access to CN’s crowned Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) corridor, reducing transit times through Chicago from 35 hours to just 12.This is a clear win for taxpayers, consumers, and the shipping industry."

“The fishing industry depends on specialized materials, too many of which come from overseas. The products I make, including modern bass tackle, rely on tungsten, and China produces roughly 83 percent of the world’s supply. Many of the premium hooks our industry depends on are manufactured in Japan. Before those materials become finished products, they travel thousands of miles through ports, railroads, and distribution networks. A seamless freight network would help those materials move more efficiently, allowing American manufacturers to scale production, fill orders faster, and get more products into more customers’ hands.”

"The creation of the first truly transcontinental rail network would give Iowa direct, seamless access to markets from coast to coast. Fewer interchange points mean fewer delays. Less congestion in the system means more predictable shipping for our producers and manufacturers. That kind of reliability matters enormously when attracting new business investment or helping an existing company scale."

"A true transcontinental network will make American industry far more competitive and cost-efficient. The companies’ analysis suggests that when shippers have access to single-line service, they are significantly more likely to move freight by rail rather than truck. That is good for manufacturers, exporters, and for supply chain reliability that keeps store shelves stocked. It is also good for the nation’s highways."

"American consumers don't care whether freight moves on one railroad or two. They care about affordable prices and stocked shelves."

"A seamless coast-to-coast rail network would strengthen supply chains, reduce transportation costs, and help keep the American economy moving."

"A seamless transcontinental rail network is not just a transportation investment, it is a strategic economic opportunity for Illinois and North America. This opportunity is especially critical for U.S.–Mexico trade. Mexico is Illinois’ second, largest export market, and nearshoring is rapidly accelerating cross-border commerce in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction materials. Strengthening rail connectivity across the continent would reinforce north–south trade corridors, reduce costly bottlenecks, and provide Illinois businesses with faster, more reliable access to Mexican markets. At the same time, it would help secure and modernize North American supply chains at a moment when resilience and competitiveness matter more than ever."