en.Wedoany.com Reported - Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have submitted the initial information required for their revised merger application to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB conditionally approved the application on May 28 and set July 27 as the deadline for submitting additional data. The proposed merger, valued at $85 billion, has seen its formal evaluation and environmental review delayed due to the new submissions. The STB had spent months collecting data before the two railroads first filed their merger application in December 2025.

UP and NS previously stated that the data would be submitted in two phases. The first submission responds to the STB's questions regarding control over local railroads—the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) and the Kansas City Terminal Railway Company (KCT)—as well as TTX Company. TRRA is jointly owned by UP, BNSF, CSX, Canadian National Railway (CN), and NS, with UP holding the largest stake. KCT is jointly owned by BNSF, UP, NS, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The two companies reiterated that they do not control TRRA and KCT, which handle interchange operations among Class I railroads, and proposed divesting their shares to maintain neutrality.

In a statement, the two companies said the submission provides clear evidence that other Class I railroads publicly opposing the merger are using TRRA as a pawn to block or delay the deal. They added that no representatives from other railroads attended TRRA's special meeting on post-merger ownership. The companies stated they will work with the STB to complete the merger process by mid-2027. The second data submission is expected to cover the STB's requirements regarding enhanced competition aspects of the merger.