(NAFB.com) – The Surface Transportation Board on Jan. 16 unanimously rejected a merger application from Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, ruling that the filing was incomplete because it lacked required information. The railroads submitted the formal application on Dec. 19, 2025. In its decision, the board said it was required to reject the filing “without prejudice,” allowing the companies to submit a revised application that addresses the deficiencies identified by regulators. The board emphasized that its action was based solely on the incompleteness of the initial filing and should not be viewed as an indication of how it might ultimately rule on a revised proposal. The decision does not represent a rejection of the potential merger itself. The STB said applications of this nature must include specific information, which was missing from the Dec. 19 submission. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern were instructed to inform the board by Feb. 17 whether they plan to refile. Any revised application must be submitted no later than June 22, 2026.
