Feature, Freight News, Rail

STB Won’t Intervene in Meridian Dispute

[ March 20, 2026   //   Gary Burrows ]

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has denied requests from two major railroads to intervene in a service dispute tied to the Meridian Speedway, concluding there is insufficient evidence to take action.

In a decision issued March 13, the board rejected petitions from Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, which had raised concerns about deteriorating intermodal service on the key corridor between Meridian, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana.

The dispute centers on operations by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, the combined company formed through Canadian Pacific’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern in 2023. The line is a critical intermodal route known as the Meridian Speedway.

Norfolk Southern had asked the board to require CPKC to submit a service recovery plan, citing worsening transit times and lost traffic that it said had shifted to trucks. Union Pacific separately urged a formal investigation, arguing that service issues and train-length restrictions were causing delays and disrupting operations at the Shreveport gateway.

The board, however, said intervention is not warranted at this time.

Regulators noted that Norfolk Southern has recently indicated progress in resolving the dispute directly with CPKC through private negotiations, an approach the board said it encourages. The agency also found that the specific merger conditions cited by Union Pacific — including so-called open gateway requirements — do not apply to the intermodal traffic at issue.

“The record does not demonstrate a need for board intervention,” the decision said.

The board also questioned whether increased dwell times cited by Union Pacific reflect problems on the Meridian Speedway itself, noting that some delays occur outside the corridor and are linked to operational factors such as train-length adjustments.

CPKC has defended its performance, arguing that service metrics have not declined to levels that would trigger merger-related commitments and that some reported delays stem from how other carriers measure transit times.

The ruling keeps the dispute in the private sphere for now but leaves the door open for future action. The board said it remains committed to addressing service issues related to the merger if conditions warrant.

Tags: Norfolk Southern Ralway, Union Pacifi8c Railroad, US Surface Transportation Board