The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Combination Protects Passenger Rail Commitments and Creates Room to Grow

A route-by-route analysis of projected post-merger growth confirms sufficient network capacity to fulfill existing service commitments to Amtrak and commuter rail agencies, and new streamlined freight routes will reduce congestion on busy Chicago-area lanes, directly creating additional capacity for passenger services.
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have a history of passenger rail partnerships that span multiple states, dozens of agreements and billions of dollars in shared infrastructure investment. The proposed combination builds on that record. Every existing agreement, legal commitment and service obligation to Amtrak and commuter rail agencies carries forward without change. And for the first time, a trans continental freight network operating with fewer inter changes would relieve pressure on corridors where freight and passenger rail share track.

What Stays the Same

Every year, Amtrak trains travel approximately 7.5 million miles across the combined network. The combination will not alter the agreements or laws that govern the relationship between the railroads and Amtrak or state and local passenger rail service. This includes Amtrak’s preference rights and the railroads’ on-time commitments.
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A route-by-route analysis of projected post-merger growth confirmed there is sufficient capacity across the combined network to continue fulfilling service commitments to every passenger service, including Amtrak and commuter agencies. The combined company will maintain dedicated systems for passenger rail coordination, including Union Pacific’s 24/7 passenger operations desk that provides direct, ongoing communication with passenger agencies and conducts regular performance reviews.

Amtrak agreements unchanged

All existing legal commitments, preference rights and on-time obligations carry forward without modification.

Capacity confirmed by analysis

Route-by-route review verified sufficient network capacity to meet all Amtrak and commuter rail service commitments.

7.5 million Amtrak miles annually

Amtrak trains travel approximately 7.5 million miles across the combined network each year — a relationship that will continue.

24/7 passenger operations desk

Union Pacific’s dedicated passenger coordination desk — providing direct, real-time communication with passenger agencies — carries into the combined company.

Chicago Gets Better for Everyone

Chicago is the most congested rail hub in North America, for freight and passengers alike. New streamlined freight routes developed as part of the proposed combination would bypass Chicago interchanges, reducing the freight traffic that competes with Amtrak and commuter services on busy Chicago-area lanes. Amtrak and commuter rail lines would benefit directly from reduced freight traffic on those corridors, creating additional operational capacity without requiring new infrastructure investment.

A National Track Record

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are committed to passenger rail, and invested in it. The six partnerships below represent active, documented commitments already in place across the combined network.

ILLINOIS

High-Speed Rail, Chicago to St. Louis

Union Pacific was a key partner in the project delivering high-speed passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis, which launched in 2023.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Passenger Rail Expansion

Norfolk Southern reached a deal in 2024 with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to expand passenger service across the Common wealth.

MISSOURI

Missouri River Runner

Union Pacific and Amtrak partnered on multiple projects enhancing Kansas City to St. Louis service, including an $8 million, 9,000-foot passing loop to improve performance.

PENNSYLVANIA

Western Pennsylvania Expansion

Norfolk Southern and PennDOT entered a 2023 agreement to double Amtrak’s service between New York City and Pittsburgh.

COLORADO

Mountain Passenger Service

Union Pacific and the State of Colorado signed a 25-year lease in May 2025 supporting expanded passenger rail service, paving the way for regular service from Denver to several mountain communities.

NORTH CAROLINA

Red Line Commuter Rail, Charlotte

Norfolk Southern sold 22 miles of track to the City of Charlotte in 2024 — enabling the development of a new Red Line commuter rail service connecting uptown Charlotte to northern Mecklenburg County.

Infrastructure Investment Benefits All Users

Together, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reinvest approximately $5.6 billion each year in America’s rail infrastructure. Track improvements, signal upgrades and capacity enhancements benefit freight and passenger services alike.

Does the Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Connection Reduce Competition?

The proposed UP–NS transcontinental connection is not structured to create a monopoly railroad; it is an end-to-end combination of two largely complementary networks and will undergo full review by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), including an assessment of any monopoly concerns or risk of reduced competition. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern primarily operate in different regions today, and federal regulators will independently evaluate how the transaction could affect competition,service and customer choice.

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“ [The Applicants] will safely provide faster, more reliable, more efficient services than UP and NS can offer today as independent companies and will provide new truck-competitive services where competitive rail options do not exist today. Applicants will be able to generate significant operating efficiencies while accommodating the traffic growth anticipated from the merger and without adversely affecting customer service or the operations of other freight and passenger railroads.”

- Eric Gehringer

EVP-Operations, Union Pacific

- John Orr

EVP & COO, Norfolk Southern — Joint Statement to the STB

FAQ

Will the proposed combination affect existing Amtrak service agreements and commitments?

No. The proposed combination will not change the agreements or laws governing the relationship with Amtrak — including Amtrak’s preference rights and the railroad’s on-time commitments. A route-by-route analysis confirmed sufficient network capacity to fulfill all existing service commitments to Amtrak and commuter agencies. Those commitments carry forward unchanged.

How will the proposed combination benefit Chicago-area passenger and commuter rail?

New streamlined freight routes that bypass Chicago interchanges would reduce freight traffic on busy Chicago-area corridors shared with Amtrak and commuter services. That reduction creates additional operational capacity for passenger rail, directly benefiting Chicago-area commuter lines and intercity Amtrak services that operate on those shared corridors today.

How does the combined company’s infrastructure investment benefit passenger rail?

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reinvest approximately $5.6 billion annually in American rail infrastructure — track, signals and capacity improvements that serve freight and passenger services on the same network. The combined company, investing as one unified system, will direct capital more efficiently to improvements that benefit all users, including the Amtrak and commuter services that operate on shared corridors.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Make Your Voice Heard

More than 2,000 businesses, unions, farmers and community leaders have already told the Surface Transportation Board why this combination matters — the largest show of support in STB history. Tell your representatives in Congress why America needs a transcontinental railroad.

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Benefits described are intended and proposed, subject to STB review and approval.
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Please review Union Pacific’s cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements.