Service
September 15, 2026
Vena: Single-Line Service Will Drive the Next Era of Intermodal Growth
A transcontinental railroad will create seven new premium intermodal lanes, eliminate thousands of unnecessary rail handoffs and unlock new growth opportunities for customers, Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena told an industry audience today.
Speaking to more than 500 attendees at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) Expo, Vena said the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is designed to deliver what customers value most: faster transit times, greater reliability and seamless access to markets across the continent.
In addition to creating seven premium lanes, the merger will convert 10,000 existing lanes that require time-consuming handoffs between railroads into more efficient single-line service. The combined network will provide direct access to nearly 100 ports and 10 international gateways serving Canada and Mexico.
“We want to give customers the option to operate seamlessly across the country,” Vena said. “Bottom line is, we’re going to provide a better product.”
Vena pointed to freight moving between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Salt Lake City as an example of the inefficiencies customers face today. Norfolk Southern currently carries the containers to Chicago, where they’re trucked 20 miles from its 47th Street intermodal facility to Union Pacific’s Global 2 intermodal terminal in Northlake, Illinois, before continuing by rail to Salt Lake City. The process can add up to 36 hours to transit time.
After the merger, the containers will move directly through Global 2 and continue to Salt Lake City following a simple block swap, reducing transit time by 20-24 hours while providing customers with end-to-end visibility and accountability.
Beyond faster transit times, Vena said the merger will give intermodal customers greater certainty in their supply chains. More predictable service will reduce inventory requirements, improve equipment utilization and make rail a more attractive alternative in lanes currently dominated by trucks. Single-line service also minimizes exposure to drayage delays and missed connections.
Vena highlighted Union Pacific's intermodal momentum over the past four years, noting car velocity has increased 19% and its intermodal Service Performance Index has improved by 20 points. He attributed those gains to stronger operational performance, maintaining strategic buffers of people and equipment to respond as market demand dictates, and $1.2 billion in intermodal investments since 2021, with another $100 million underway this year.
“This is who we are at Union Pacific – we have the highest customer service levels of anybody in the industry, and we are the safest railroad,” Vena said.
Looking ahead, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are prepared to invest an additional $2 billion to support growth generated by the combined network. Planned projects include new double track, longer sidings, expanded terminal capacity and modernized gate technology, as well as the reopening of three intermodal ramps. Together, those investments will create the capacity needed to support faster service, additional growth opportunities and rising customer demand across a unified transcontinental network.
“Our job is to figure out ways to move products for our customers and win in the marketplace,” Vena said. “We’re going to be able to invest better than we ever have before because of the bigger network.”
Please review Union Pacific’s cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements.