Customers express concerns about Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger

The Rail Customer Coalition, which includes the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Agricultural Retailers Association, sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board last week expressing “serious concerns and reservations about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.”

CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange said in its grain and biofuels letter, “The release of the letter coincides with new findings from Escalation Consultants showing that, after adjusting for inflation, freight rail rates have risen more than 40% over the past 20 years, which RCC said far outpaces both demand and operating expenses.

“Rail rates also increased by almost 70% more than truck rates in the same period.”