By Curtis Eichelberger ( June 18, 2026, 20:03 GMT | Comment) -- The US Department of Justice can submit letters, offer economic analysis, even provide in-person testimony on the competitive effects of Union Pacific’s acquisition of Norfolk Southern, but the regulatory decision on the merger will ultimately come from the Surface Transportation Board. The nation's rail regulator doesn’t give the DOJ deference over other actors in its public interest review. DOJ comments, like input from others, are immediately placed on the public record, without agency-to-agency interaction behind closed doors, former government officials say. The US Department of Justice can submit letters, offer economic analysis, even provide in-person testimony on the competitive effects of Union Pacific’s acquisition of Norfolk Southern, but the regulatory decision on the merger will ultimately come from the Surface Transportation Board....
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