Completing America's Transcontinental Railroad Vision
● The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern combination will create America's first single-line transcontinental freight railroad. Connecting complementary eastern and western networks will reduce freight handoffs and create a more seamless national transportation system.
● Customers will benefit from faster, simpler and more reliable service. Single-line routes will reduce delays, improve shipment visibility and create a more streamlined shipping experience.
● A transcontinental railroad will strengthen American competitiveness. Better connections between industries, ports and communities will support economic growth and improve supply chain efficiency across the country.
Key Takeaways:
- A seamless transcontinental network expands freight options. The combination would create America’s first single-line coast-to-coast railroad with new lanes, faster routing and broader market access.
- Single-line service reduces supply chain friction. Fewer handoffs and more direct routing are designed to improve speed, reliability and efficiency for long-distance freight movement.
- The proposed combination strengthens American competitiveness.The applicationhighlights supply chain growth, new union jobs, and expanded rail capacity as long-term economic benefits.
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In a feature published by B2B Omaha Magazine, a Union Pacific leader and railroad historian discuss how the proposed combination will connect a rail network that has remained divided for more than a century.
More than 160 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act and launched the construction of a transcontinental rail network, Union Pacific is pursuing a new chapter in that history. The proposed combination with Norfolk Southern will connect complementary rail networks and create the nation's first single-line freight railroad spanning from the West Coast to the East Coast.
The article traces Union Pacific's origins to Lincoln's vision of a railroad that would connect the country and strengthen commerce between regions. While that vision transformed the American economy, today's freight network still requires many shipments to be transferred between multiple railroads as they move across the country.
According to Union Pacific Executive Vice President of Operations, Eric Gehringer, the combination is designed to improve consistency from origin to destination.
"The foundation for this merger is, how do you actually remove complexity?" Gehringer said.
Today, freight moving long distances often changes hands between multiple railroads before reaching its final destination. Each transfer adds time, coordination and operational complexity. The combination will allow freight to move across a much larger network under a single railroad, reducing handoffs and creating faster, more efficient service.
The benefits extend beyond train operations. Customers today frequently interact with multiple railroads, systems and service teams to move freight across the country. A more seamless network will simplify the customer experience through unified shipment tracking, streamlined communication and a single point of contact for cross-country moves.
The combination aligns with the broader goal of creating a more competitive national freight network. By connecting approximately 50,000 route miles across 43 states and linking more than 100 ports, the combined system will improve access to markets, strengthen supply chains and create new opportunities for American businesses. The combination will also transform approximately 10,000 existing lanes from interline service into single-line service while creating 88,000 new county-to-county lanes where shippers can access single-line rail service for the first time.
For Union Pacific employees, the proposal also carries historical significance. The article notes that the company was created through the same legislation that charged Union Pacific and Central Pacific with connecting the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Today, supporters of the combination view it as an opportunity to build on that legacy while creating a freight network designed to meet modern supply chain needs.
Read the full B2B Omaha article.