A growing divide among Republican state attorneys general has emerged over the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, two of the nation’s largest freight rail carriers. This week, attorneys general from Nebraska, Georgia, and West Virginia submitted a letter urging federal regulators to approve the deal, arguing it will boost rail efficiency and benefit the broader U.S. economy.
Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers, Georgia AG Chris Carr, and West Virginia AG J.B. McCuskey addressed their letter to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs. They endorsed the merger as a step forward for a more reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable freight rail system.
According to the letter, the combined company would operate more than 50,000 miles of track, connect 100 North American ports, and expand service across 43 states. The AGs asserted this would cut delays, eliminate unnecessary rail car transfers, and move freight faster and at lower cost than before.
The letter also pointed to the environmental advantages of rail transport, noting that rail is three to four times more fuel efficient than trucking and could help reduce overall transportation emissions. The merger, they said, is projected to increase demand and job growth at the newly unified company. The attorneys general also highlighted that the nation’s largest railroad union has endorsed the deal.
Their support contrasts sharply with a letter sent last week by nine other Republican attorneys general who voiced concern that the merger would reduce competition and increase shipping costs. That group warned of higher prices for American consumers, harm to domestic manufacturers, and a negative ripple effect on agricultural markets.
While both companies’ shareholders have approved the merger, Union Pacific is expected to file a formal application with the Surface Transportation Board soon. The federal board will conduct a comprehensive review, a process likely to extend over a year, to determine if the merger serves the public interest and preserves fair competition in the freight rail industry.
