Lake Forest and Lake Bluff Metra commuters have until Nov. 18 to weigh in on an $85 billion railroad merger. Union Pacific's proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern would put the UP-North line's tracks under new corporate control.
The combined company would control nearly 40% of the U.S. railroad market, the Chicago Tribune reported. The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) is reviewing the deal.
The STB has set the Nov. 18 deadline for public comments, protests and requests for conditions on the revised merger application, according to the board's procedural schedule.
What the merger plan says about the UP-North line
The UP-North line runs over about 50 miles of Union Pacific-owned track, carrying 35 weekday trains and 15 weekend trains in each direction, according to the railroads' merger operating plan filed with the STB. That plan states the merger would not increase the number of trains on the UP-North line.
That no-increase claim carries a caveat. The operating plan was part of the original December 2025 merger application, which the STB rejected as incomplete in January 2026. A revised supplemental filing submitted in July 2026 may contain updated projections, but whether it changed the UP-North line assessment has not been confirmed.
Metra's position unclear
Metra spokesperson Mike Gillis declined to comment on the merger's potential impact on commuter service, the Tribune reported in January 2026. No updated Metra statement has surfaced.
The merger could still reshape the relationship between Metra and Union Pacific. Former STB Chairman Roger Nober has said Metra may seek to restructure its track-use agreement with Union Pacific before the STB issues a final ruling, according to Progressive Railroading. Issues would include payment terms, infrastructure investment and the potential for expanding passenger service on UP-owned lines.
Merger opposition
Seven Republican state attorneys general said Aug. 11 that Union Pacific has not shown how the merger would enhance competition, as STB rules require. Rival railroads BNSF, CSX and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have urged the STB to dismiss the proposal, arguing it fails to meet the public-interest threshold, according to WWD.
"At the very least, towns like Barrington shouldn't have to wait 19 years to get relief from a rail merger," Ron Batory, retired former head of Conrail and the Federal Railroad Administration, told the Tribune in a Sept. 6 article. He urged communities along rail corridors to study what happened in Barrington, where a $94 million grade-separation project took nearly two decades to secure.
What's next
The STB's projected timeline runs through at least May 28, 2027. A final decision is due within 90 days after the close of record, pushing a ruling into the second half of 2027. The board also plans to hold a public hearing, though no date has been set.
Responses to public comments filed by the Nov. 18 deadline are due Feb. 16, 2027. No Lake Forest City Council or Lake Bluff Village Board agenda items addressing the merger have been identified. Residents can file comments directly with the STB.
