Metra Cancels Four Weekday Trains on UP Northwest Line For Tie Work Beginning Aug. 4
CHICAGO –– Metra’s weekday train schedules on the UP Northwest Line will be slightly reduced for about 1.5 months because of Union Pacific tie replacement work.
Union Pacific
Vena’s Art of the Deal With NS – Commentary
OMAHA and ATLANTA –– Union Pacific’s (UP) much-anticipated bid for Norfolk Southern (NS) was announced July 29. Both now embark on a lengthy review process, but we see the potential approval pathway justified due to U.S. supply chain benefits. NS operates well, supporting a pivot in focus to the review process. NS takeout PT moves to $320 in line with the announcement. Reiterate Buy as entry point is attractive while event-based investors remain on the sidelines.
UP+NS: An ‘Absolute Monster of a Railroad’ Commentary
Since a Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger is now in process, I wanted to share data giving a sense of the absolute monster of a railroad UP+NS would represent. To do this, below I’ve taken
Well, The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Merger Talk Arrived Sooner Than We Thought
ATLANTA – From the August 2025 issue of RT&S, Editor-in-Chief David Lester writes about Class I merger chatter.
Union Pacific + Norfolk Southern: It’s Official
OMAHA and ATLANTA –– The speculation is over: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern at 7:00 AM EDT announced their agreement to, in a combined cash and stock transaction valued at more than $250 billion, merge and create the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. Union Pacific is the acquiring company; the Norfolk Southern name and iconic “Thoroughbred” prancing horse logo on a black locomotive carbody will fade into history as another fallen flag—just like all prior UP acquisitions (Missouri Pacific, Western Pacific, Missouri–Kansas–Texas, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Chicago & North Western, Southern Pacific).
Getting Closer to a Merger Deal? Commentary
OMAHA and ATLANTA –– Unconfirmed reports over the weekend noted a Class I merger is close. These reports were preceded by actions by the STB that show the agency is preparing to handle a review in a more expedited fashion with a merger resource page already up, and a notice that the Board is embarking on taking steps to expedite regulatory processes. We continue to believe a deal is highly likely between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.
Report: UP/NS Merger Afoot?
OMAHA and ATLANTA ––Union Pacific (UP) is in early-stage discussions to acquire Norfolk Southern (NS), “according to people familiar with the matter,” The Wall Street Journal reported July 17. “[T]here are no
UP Finishes Track Renewal Project in Less Than 24 Hours
DORRIS, Calif. – Union Pacific teams finished a track renewal project in less than 24 hours in Dorris, California.
UP Partners With California Highway Patrol for Safety Training
SACRAMENTO – For statewide rail safety training, Union Pacific partnered with California Highway Patrol as part of its commitment to rail safety.
Power Behind the Rails: RT&S 2025 Women in Rail Engineering
ATLANTA – Celebrating fourteen dedicated women in rail engineering, these winners make the fourth annual list for this award.
Railway Track & Structures 2025 Top Projects
ATLANTA – The annual Top Projects awards for 2025 have been selected and featured in the June 2025 issue of Railway Track & Structures.
Union Pacific Details its Rockfall Mitigation Efforts
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. – Union Pacific’s Inside Track focuses on the efforts of its rockfall mitigation teams.
$157MM Secured for Springfield Rail Improvements Project
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has fully obligated $157,126,494 from the FRA CRISI grant program for the final segment of the Springfield (Ill.) Rail Improvements Project, allowing construction to move forward. The announcement
Young Engineers Under 40: Focused on Engineering Excellence Every Day
Each year, we ask the railroad industry to nominate those young engineers it sees as being the leaders of tomorrow. Of course, with all the engineers in the industry, there are many
NTSB Issues Railroad Investigation Report 25-04
MCNEIL, Ark. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued Railroad Investigation Report 25-04, detailing its investigation into the UP employee fatality that occurred on April 11, 2024.
Metra Outlines 2025 Construction Program
CHICAGO, Ill. – Metra on March 18 detailed its program for the 2025 construction season, covering station, track, road crossing, bridge, and signal/communications improvement projects along the Chicagoland commuter railroad’s 11 lines totaling
Railway Age/RT&S Women in Rail 2024 Conference Roundup
Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures on Nov. 5-6 returned to Chicago for our second-annual in-person Women in Rail Conference featuring trailblazing women and their allies, who are influencing today’s freight, passenger and transit rail industry.
ICC Approves Rail Improvements in Marion, Pulaski, and Shelby Counties
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Commerce Commission approved rail safety upgrades for Marion, Pulaski, and Shelby Counties.
ICC Approves Rail Crossing Upgrades in Marion and Franklin Counties
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved upgrades for the installation of new automatic warning gates and highway grade approach improvements at rail crossings in Franklin and Marion Counties.
UP: New Intermodal Terminal Coming to Kansas City
OMAHA –– Construction is under way for a new Union Pacific (UP) intermodal terminal in Kansas City, Mo., which the Class I railroad said will serve both domestic and international containerized shipments of grains, consumer goods, refrigerated products, and pet foods. It is expected to open in mid-2025, adding capacity to UP’s current Kansas City operation.