The planned transcontinental merger of two major US railroads may incentivize more US West Coast routings and increase competition with the Port of Vancouver for Midwest markets. That would come after West Coast ports over the past decade have lost share to East and Gulf coast gateways and to ports in Western Canada. The efficiencies gained by merging Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) would make cross-country shipments from the West Coast to markets east of Chicago more cost feasible. The merger, if approved by federal rail regulators, would also allow the combined entity to directly serve eastern US.

https://www.joc.com/article/up-ns-merger-could-extend-west-coast-market-share-reach-6085114