Chicago carries the nation’s freight; merger must carry its weight
For generations, northeastern Illinois has served as the nation’s freight crossroads. Our rail lines, highways, waterways, airports, businesses, workers and communities connect goods to markets across the country and around the world. When freight works well in Chicago, the benefits extend far beyond our region.
That’s why the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern deserves close attention — not because northeastern Illinois should resist change, but because decisions about the national freight network will be felt locally in our railyards, Metra corridors, roadways, crossings and neighborhoods.
The merger could create valuable opportunities. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern forecast that a more efficient single-line system could generate about 2 million additional carloads and intermodal units each year — a 13% increase over their combined 2023 traffic. More freight moving by rail could strengthen supply chains, support businesses, reduce pressure on highways, and advance environmental goals.
Northeastern Illinois should be positioned to benefit from that growth, not be expected to carry its costs without clear returns.
The costs and benefits will not be felt evenly. Changes in terminal operations and truck routes may affect local roads, jobs, noise, air quality, safety and redevelopment opportunities. Vacated rail yards cannot become barriers to future community investment. Environmental conditions should be assessed and, where necessary, remediated so that these sites can be put to productive use.
Passenger rail also must remain central to the conversation. The railroads anticipate that traffic on the busiest segment of Metra’s UP-West Line would increase, and yet the applicants argue rail network capacity would remain sufficient for both passenger and freight. Their current analysis does not evaluate every passenger route where Union Pacific or Norfolk Southern operates through another company’s physical rail tracks including Metra’s Heritage Corridor.
A merger that improves freight efficiency but weakens passenger rail reliability would not be a win for our region.
The same is true for safety. Blocked crossings delay drivers, transit riders, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. A merger at this scale should inherently create value, with investments that fund grade separations, crossing improvements and other investments that address long-standing community safety needs.
We have an important opportunity to make sure local realities are part of the federal review. The Surface Transportation Board is preparing an environmental-impact statement to examine the merger’s potential effects. Preliminary comments to inform that work are due by September 21.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) wants northeastern Illinois to speak with a strong, unified voice throughout that process to maximize benefits to the region. We want to hear from communities, counties, and transportation partners about what they are seeing and what concerns or opportunities federal reviewers should understand.
CMAP will work through our board, MPO, Transportation Committee, Council of Mayors, and other regional partners to collect input and insights from the communities and transportation agencies along affected rail lines. Our experiences should help shape what federal reviewers study, where they look for impacts, and what mitigation may be necessary.
We know regional collaboration works. Through efforts such as the Northeastern Illinois Priority Investments, CMAP brings governments and transportation partners together around shared priorities to take a unified position to federal decision-makers and drive investment to the region.
We are strongest when we identify what matters to the region and advocate for it together.
A stronger national freight network can strengthen the Chicago region and the country. But that outcome is not guaranteed. If this merger moves forward, it must help our region be safer, more competitive, and better prepared for the future.
• Erin Aleman is executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.