In a statement released today in Calgary, CPKC warned that the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, unprecedented in scale and scope, “would radically and permanently change the U.S. rail network. If approved, the merger would pose extraordinary and far-reaching risks to customers, rail employees and broader supply chains.”
CPKC said it was confident that the Surface Transportation Board “will conduct a vigorous process to assess all of the short- and long-term public interest impacts of the proposed behemoth, including on the competition rail customers have today.”
The statement continued: “CPKC will remain an active participant in that process. We encourage all interested shippers, receivers, associations, governments and other stakeholders to closely examine the application and file their own comments with the STB. All stakeholders should express their views about how this proposed merger would affect their business, including new limitations on their rail shipping options, new risks of rate pressures, and new risks to service quality. CPKC anticipates submitting comments to the STB in accordance with the procedural schedule the STB adopts in this proceeding.”
The first step in the STB’s merger review process calls for the STB to determine, by Jan. 18, 2026, whether to accept the application for consideration or to reject it as incomplete. If the STB accepts the application, its public interest review will entail consideration of a broad and novel array of public interest concerns.
Approval of this merger is not inevitable, CPKC said.
(Photo of Norfolk Southern freight train)