71% of Voters Reject Proposed Railroad ‘Monopoly’

A new survey from the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, which is heavily relied upon by President Donald Trump’s administration, found that 71% of likely voters oppose the $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, which Union Pacific proposed a day before the two companies were set to file a revised application.

The proposed merger would create the largest railroad in U.S. history and control nearly half of the nation’s rail traffic.

The majority of the survey’s 1,400 respondents indicated that the merger would increase the costs consumers pay for goods shipped by rail, raise food prices at grocery stores, and increase shipping costs for businesses. Nearly half also said it would reduce rail competition and lead to job losses or negative outcomes for rail workers.

Because of the perceived potential downsides, only 27% of voters support the merger.

Politically, the lack of public support could affect voting outcomes. A majority of voters said they would be more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who opposes the merger; half said they would be less likely to back a candidate who supports it.

In a press release, the organization also noted that more than 100 state and federal policymakers, including attorneys general and agriculture secretaries, are already urging the Trump administration to block the merger.

Members of the coalition argue the merger is driven by Wall Street instead of customer demand. Meanwhile, labor and industry leaders say the merger lacks binding workforce and service commitments, posing risks to reliability and taxpayers.

Opponents cite Union Pacific’s failed commitments after its 1996 Southern Pacific merger as evidence that merger promises are hard to enforce.

The coalition argues the merger fails to improve service or competition and should be rejected by regulators.