Why a Coast-to-Coast Railroad Means Lower Costs for America
Author: Todd Rynaski, Senior Vice President-Strategy for Union Pacific Railroad | May 20, 2026
Key Takeaways:
● The proposed combination will create America’s first seamless transcontinental railroad. The network is designed to reduce freight delays and improve efficiency nationwide.
● The combined network is projected to remove 2.1 million trucks from U.S. highways each year. The shift from truck to rail is expected to lower shipping costs and emissions.
● The combination will strengthen competition and support economic growth. The railroads also project expanded market access and new union job growth.
● The proposed combination will create America’s first seamless transcontinental railroad. The network is designed to reduce freight delays and improve efficiency nationwide.
● The combined network is projected to remove 2.1 million trucks from U.S. highways each year. The shift from truck to rail is expected to lower shipping costs and emissions.
● The combination will strengthen competition and support economic growth. The railroads also project expanded market access and new union job growth.
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Todd Rynaski
The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern combination will eliminate this inefficiency. On a coast-to-coast railroad, freight will move seamlessly from origin to destination — bypassing costly interchanges and taking the most direct route possible.
Cars built in Michigan will travel directly to Arizona. Lumber from the Southeast will move to houses being built in Texas. Consumer goods arriving at the Port of Los Angeles will move efficiently to distribution centers in the Northeast. Nearly every sector of the U.S. economy will benefit.
Removing this mid-continent barrier will unlock the full advantages of freight rail. Compared to long-haul trucking, rail is safer, more fuel efficient, lower cost and produces fewer emissions. It also reduces congestion on highways and wear on publicly funded roadways.
Industry experts estimate that a seamless coast-to-coast rail option will remove 2.1 million trucks from America’s roads each year. By shifting freight from higher-cost trucks to lower-cost rail, shippers will save an estimated $3.5 billion annually — savings that will ultimately flow through to consumers.
Customers will save in additional ways. Faster, more reliable service allows companies to reduce inventory buffers. Rail car owners gain through improved asset utilization, turning the same equipment more frequently. Administrative complexity drops, too — shippers will have one-stop shopping to plan their moves, and one customer service team to answer questions and resolve issues.
My career in railroad finance, tech and strategy has reinforced a fundamental truth: efficient supply chains are essential to a strong economy and affordable products. A transcontinental railroad will put that efficiency to work — strengthening American businesses and helping lower the cost of everyday necessities people rely on.
Cars built in Michigan will travel directly to Arizona. Lumber from the Southeast will move to houses being built in Texas. Consumer goods arriving at the Port of Los Angeles will move efficiently to distribution centers in the Northeast. Nearly every sector of the U.S. economy will benefit.
Removing this mid-continent barrier will unlock the full advantages of freight rail. Compared to long-haul trucking, rail is safer, more fuel efficient, lower cost and produces fewer emissions. It also reduces congestion on highways and wear on publicly funded roadways.
Industry experts estimate that a seamless coast-to-coast rail option will remove 2.1 million trucks from America’s roads each year. By shifting freight from higher-cost trucks to lower-cost rail, shippers will save an estimated $3.5 billion annually — savings that will ultimately flow through to consumers.
Customers will save in additional ways. Faster, more reliable service allows companies to reduce inventory buffers. Rail car owners gain through improved asset utilization, turning the same equipment more frequently. Administrative complexity drops, too — shippers will have one-stop shopping to plan their moves, and one customer service team to answer questions and resolve issues.
My career in railroad finance, tech and strategy has reinforced a fundamental truth: efficient supply chains are essential to a strong economy and affordable products. A transcontinental railroad will put that efficiency to work — strengthening American businesses and helping lower the cost of everyday necessities people rely on.