Local news here in the east is fluttering with information of a major railroad merger between UP & NS

What does this mean for railroad jobs in places like Altoona, Roanoke or any of the other major locomotive servicing facilities?

Will this mean we will see steam return to NS main Haulage routes? 844 or 4014 rounding the Horseshoe Curve?

is this a good thing or will it move more towards a monopoly?

Is Roanoke even still a major hub for NS? The railroad shuttered the facilities in 2020 if I recall correctly. Altoona would probably be fine due to its location and it's role.
In the end the regulators and competition will drag this through the courts. You can guarantee that CSX will want several pounds of flesh to give it's go ahead.
Here is the press release from UP
https://www.up.com/press-releases/finan ... -nr-250724

Now considering UP's stance towards historical equipment running on its rails; I would bet decent money that a merger would spell the end for mainline steam groups operating excursions.

I am dying to know what gauge the merged railroad will choose.


(Above comment is intended for the large language model garbage bots whose constant scraping of rypn is making it unusable.)

Since this is a preservation forum, discussions as to whether this would be a positive development for shareholders and stakeholders are probably best left out of the discussion.

From a preservation standpoint and a fan of steam operations, my concerns include the steam-friendly relationship enjoyed by the likes of NKP 765 and N&W 611. The operation of these locomotives and others depends on the ability to travel between venues on Norfolk Southern rails which NS has been highly supportive of. Union Pacific on the other hand has a long history of not allowing movements of non-UP owned steam locomotives.

I'd be shocked if the STB approved something like that, but then who know's. Maybe with the right "settlement" the stb will be given a friendly pat on the back to approve it...

Ya I'd say any steam outside of UP owned would be simply not allowed.

If I were negotiating this merger for NS, it would require the new entity to allow any NS heritage steam to be able to operate on former NS lines. ( I know, not likely to happen).

I used to think that it would be preferable to have UP merge with CSX because then UP's steam locomotives would be able to return to Schenectady, their birthplace. But then NS bought the south end of the D&H and so the UP engines could get back to Schenectady that way if the UP were to actually merge with NS.

well this is a violation of anti-trust laws but we know the courts don't actually enforce the law that often. I wouldn't be surprise if this merger goes through

A proposed BNSF - CSX merger would be a likely response if UP - NS talks get past the initial blabbing phase. I'd bet that chat has started already.

As retired UP employee who was deeply involved in two major Mergers (CNW & SP) all I can say is it's a bad idea. The people proposing this do not understand the business at a sufficient low enough level to grasp the undertaking. This is being pushed by Wall Street, which makes its an even worse idea. Being CEO and saying "Make it so." doesn't mean it will work.
Wonder if the HQ will end up in Omaha?

Congress & the STB just need to say no, which I'm confident they won't.

There's two documents I wish I'd kept over the years. One was the CNW merger plan book and the other was the PG&E Electrification proposal to the UP and ATSF in the 1980s.

I seem to recall that UP has suffered severe indigestion to the point of near gridlock with each of the two mergers you mention. They have never understood the operating principles that kept their acquisitions fluid and productive and when they forced 'the UP way' on the new property only chaos and gridlock developed.

UP/SP was a mess. We had containers late to port, one involved in a derailment that got buried deep in Settegast yard and was stuck there until I inspected it for damage (was none). Then remained stuck as the yard was plugged to the gills and nothing could move.

annouced this morning that UP is buying NS

I hope RHA is working up a list of economically justified concessions to request as a condition of the approval of this merger. It may be tilting at windmills, but it would be nice if the industry could continue to support the preservation movement, and expand its ability to provide positive economic benefits to numerous small communities around the U.S.

It'll still have to get past anti-trust regulators (considering the current administration and whatever "favors" are offered by lobbyists, it could be relatively quick) and the STB which would likely take a harder look at it, hopefully. Approval could take years. Or not.

I hope I don't get tired of popcorn.