The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition launched a new interactive map today that combines projected merger-related increases in train traffic and freight volume with existing blocked-crossing and safety data. This provides the clearest picture yet of where communities could face greater congestion, emergency response delays, and strain on local infrastructure in communities across 43 states. This dashboard is based on information submitted by UP and NS as part of their April 30 and July 27, 2026, merger applications and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) data. The map can be viewed at: https://stoptherailmerger.com/community-impact-map/
This launch comes in the final weeks for communities to claim a formal seat at the table: Notices of Intent to Participate in the merger proceeding are due to the Surface Transportation Board by September 30, and a community that doesn’t file risks losing its right to formally protest, seek conditions, or be heard as a party in the case.
“This map provides a clear picture, for the first time, of how many communities will see negative impacts from this proposed UP-NS railroad merger,” said Stop the Rail Merger Coalition. “The STB must hear from state, county, and local officials, from first responders, and from the residents who will be living with the consequences of this merger.”
The data shows the merger would significantly escalate train traffic, resulting in longer gate-down times, a greater risk of blocked crossings, and increased challenges for emergency responders along affected corridors. Comparing today’s traffic with the railroads’ projection for the fifth year after the merger, UP and NS project the following:
- Train traffic at some crossings will double, with several other crossings seeing longer trains, many as long as 15,000 feet.
- Communities along more than 2,200 miles of UP-NS rail line will see a 40% or more increase in the number of trains moving through their community every day.
- Along more than 5,000 miles of UP-NS rail line, gross ton miles are projected to increase by 40% or more, resulting in heavier or longer trains.
- Over 50 rail facilities are projected to see truck traffic increase by more than 20%, including in Inland Empire, California; Centreville, Illinois; Toledo, Ohio; and the Twin Cities, Minnesota. All are projected to see increases above 225%, with Inland Empire exceeding 400% and Centreville reaching 400%.
According to the FRA’s blocked-crossing data, Union Pacific already accounts for more blocked-crossing reports than all other U.S.-based Class I railroads combined, raising questions about the potential community impacts of additional traffic resulting from the proposed merger. These incidents can delay police, firefighters, ambulances, and school transportation while creating challenging conditions for motorists and pedestrians.
Communities would also face increased truck traffic near intermodal and automotive facilities and additional wear on local roads and bridges that comes with it, as well as commuter rail disruptions, emissions impacts, and construction associated with new sidings and double-track projects.
Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena has also argued that the railroad can absorb significant new traffic without major capacity concerns, saying:
“As we bring in the 2 million loads that we’ve talked about… we’ll be able to put them on the railroad without spending or worrying about whether we have the capacity.”
As the STB plans to hold in-person public meetings as part of its merger review process, the coalition’s map allows residents and local officials to search affected crossings and rail yards and understand how existing rail impacts could grow under the proposed merger. While the merger application includes infrastructure and capacity investments, questions remain about whether those plans adequately address the full range of community impacts, including increased traffic, blocked crossings, emergency response delays, and strain on local roads and bridges.
In Houston alone, the railroads project an almost 140% increase in intermodal truck traffic and a 15% increase in auto-carrier truck traffic within five years. The city already has over 20,000 blocked-crossing reports since 2020, with over 10,000 emergency blocks, over 2 million daily train and traffic interactions at rail crossings, and 22 rail crossings that rank among the FRA’s top 200 for predicted accident risk. Texas is projected to see the largest increase in rail freight of any state under the proposed merger, even as communities across the state already report more blocked crossings than any other state. The STB has announced Houston as a location for one in-person meeting, but projected impacts suggest several may be warranted.
There is more local impact beneath the headline numbers:
- Communities already struggling with blocked crossings are asked to absorb even more rail traffic. In northern Ohio, a corridor with nearly 1,500 blocked-crossing complaints since 2020 is projected to see a more than 30% increase in gross tonnage. In Arizona, communities along the Sunset Route with nearly 600 complaints face a similar increase and roughly 40 trains per day. In Texas and Pennsylvania, heavily used corridors already generating public concern would see significant increases in freight traffic under the railroads’ proposal.
- Communities near rail yards and intermodal facilities would shoulder major increases in truck traffic. The railroads’ own data shows truck traffic roughly doubling, or more, at terminals in Houston, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Detroit, Michigan, while truck traffic in Charlotte, North Carolina is projected to grow by more than 70%. Those impacts extend beyond rail property, placing additional demands on local roads, intersections, and bridges.
- Communities are asked to accommodate longer and more frequent trains. In Georgia, dozens of crossings are projected to see ten or more additional trains per day, including crossings located on school-bus routes. Across Nevada, the merger plan includes trains averaging more than 10,000 feet in length, with some trains through New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan exceeding 15,000 feet. The railroads’ own infrastructure, local road networks, emergency response systems, and daily travel patterns were not designed around trains of this size and frequency.
The new map allows users to:
- View highly impacted routes by city, county, or state.
- View projected train count increases and increases in freight tonnage where applicable.
- See which rail facilities will increase rail operations and where truck traffic on roadways will increase depending on the type of rail yard.
- Understand where public roadway crossings are already blocked based on complaints filed with the FRA.
We encourage residents and local officials to utilize the interactive map as a tool to see how the proposed merger could affect their roads and neighborhoods. Communities should make their voices heard by contacting the Surface Transportation Board, submitting comments in Finance Docket No. 36873 at https://www.stb.gov/proceedings-actions/e-filing/other-filings/, and participating fully in the review process, including filing a Notice of Intent to Participate by September 30, 2026, to preserve the ability to comment later if desired, submitting scoping comments by September 21, 2026, to inform the STB’s environmental study, and requesting in-person STB community meetings.