Rail Giants Hate the $71 Billion Merger. The Rest of Us Should Love It
Based on the record, the case for approving the merger is even stronger than when it was first announced.
Major infrastructure projects deserve careful review. They also deserve to be judged on the facts, not on outdated objections and hypothetical concerns.
The $71 billion Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is ready to be assessed on its merits and approved.
When the companies first filed their application with the Surface Transportation Board, critics questioned whether the merger would preserve competition, protect customers during integration, and deliver the public benefits it promised. Those were reasonable questions for regulators to ask. The STB’s job is to ensure that large transportation mergers in the rail industry serve the public interest, not merely corporate balance sheets.
Over the past year, however, the applicants have addressed those concerns head-on. Their July 27 supplemental filing is the clearest example yet. Rather than simply defending the original proposal, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern voluntarily offered a series of concrete commitments that exceed those made in any previous major U.S. rail merger.
The most significant additions involve four enforceable customer protections.
Politics
%20Richard%20Samuelson%20%20-%20Is%20American%20Nationalism%20Still%20Creed-able_-1.jpg)
Is American Nationalism Still Creed-able?
We are not there now, but there is reason to worry that the United States is in danger, if we are not careful, of ceasing to be a nation with the principles of 1776 at its core.
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
.webp)
%20(1).avif)
The Democrats Are a Menace to America’s Jews
Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic primary is an ominous sign.
The G7 Is Failing To Address Global Imbalances
The G7 was not created to issue an endless procession of carefully calibrated communiqués.
Can Britain’s Next Prime Minister Escape the Net Zero Trap?
Britain has burned through five Prime Ministers and is paying some of the highest electricity prices in the world.
The Scanner at the Gate: Europe’s China Policy Litmus Test
China’s industrial policy is entering Europe through public procurement—and reshaping sensitive markets from within.
Confronting the New Antisemitism
"The postwar effort 'to rebrand Judaism as a religion' has made it impossible for American Jews to understand what they are facing today, because what we are facing today is an attack on the idea of Jewish peoplehood.”
“Democratic” Socialism Is Undemocratic
By promoting class hatred, suppressing private initiative, and seeking enhanced control of our lives, today’s democratic socialists undermine patriotism and individual initiative—two qualities that have long distinguished the United States from other major nations.
