CSX Corp. is encouraging shippers, communities and other stakeholders to participate in the regulatory process surrounding the merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.
The company has launched a public resource website that will provide stakeholders with information about the pending merger, the Surface Transportation Board’s review process, links to the public docket, guidance on filing comment on the record with the STB, and options for confidentially providing feedback to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The railroad said the current Class I freight rail system – six carriers – two western, two eastern and two Canadian carriers providing north-south service – is competitively balanced, and provides routing options and competitive choices for rail shippers. But, CSX argues, the proposed UP-NS merger would create a single transcontinental carrier alongside four regional carriers which would create an industry imbalance that would reduce viable options for shippers.
“Our customers depend on a competitive and healthy freight rail system. Customers and the communities we serve have a stake in this review, and we are here to help them be heard,” Steve Angel, Chief Executive Officer of CSX, said
The company said the most recent revised filing in regard to the merger does not address competitive balance issues. That filing, dated April 30, said the merger would drive growth, enable as much as $3.5 billion in savings for shippers and strengthen the U.S. supply chain.