skittlekicks
Member
As I have been following this potential merger since July, I've begun to rethink how this could be a way to unite our nation, and this is one merger I can actually get behind. For one there would be a lot less fragmentation in hauling, there would be greater competition against trucking, it would reduce the truck accidents we've seen quite recently (one tractor trailer accident causes as much highway damage as 9600 cars). There were more than 150,000 heavy truck accidents and 4500 deaths in 2024 alone. With what we've been finding out recently regarding CDls being given to some that should never be on our roads driving rigs probably doubles that number in 2025.
It's 60% more cost effective to haul freight. Railways have no gov subsidies which creates no tax burden on we the people, and they maintain their tracks (way better than the DOT does our roads). There's billions is reinvestment again with no handouts be our government. It's a far less polluting industry. You would have little issues with transfers which increases efficiency. The UP/NS merger would (overtime) reduce cost to retail, warehousing, and would reshore out manufacturing while finally rebuilding the our domestic supply chain. This would immunize us from weaker overseas markets that can and would create chaos for our supply chains by cutting us off.
The UP/NS transcontinental would have better direct origin to destination with no major delays. This merger would strengthen unions and again unite our workforce. It might be a catalyst to have larger train crews instead of reducing as they are now.
I am usually dead set against mergers because of the lack of competition, poor quality service (which we all deal with as it sits now), but now I get it. This is just overlapping and covering more ground in the nation, allowing for greater competition against the Canadian decades long comfortable transcontinental system.
It's 60% more cost effective to haul freight. Railways have no gov subsidies which creates no tax burden on we the people, and they maintain their tracks (way better than the DOT does our roads). There's billions is reinvestment again with no handouts be our government. It's a far less polluting industry. You would have little issues with transfers which increases efficiency. The UP/NS merger would (overtime) reduce cost to retail, warehousing, and would reshore out manufacturing while finally rebuilding the our domestic supply chain. This would immunize us from weaker overseas markets that can and would create chaos for our supply chains by cutting us off.
The UP/NS transcontinental would have better direct origin to destination with no major delays. This merger would strengthen unions and again unite our workforce. It might be a catalyst to have larger train crews instead of reducing as they are now.
I am usually dead set against mergers because of the lack of competition, poor quality service (which we all deal with as it sits now), but now I get it. This is just overlapping and covering more ground in the nation, allowing for greater competition against the Canadian decades long comfortable transcontinental system.
