UP
“2025 was a strong year for UP. We delivered our best-ever full-year results across safety, service and operating performance, including personal injury, derailment rates, freight car velocity and terminal dwell, most of which led the industry. The team is consistently delivering at the highest levels, and I am confident that’s what we’ll continue to do,” UP’s Kenny Rocker wrote in a Jan. 29 online customer message.
As part of a UP status report, Rocker provided service metrics for the week ending Jan. 23, 2026:
- Freight Car Velocity – 241 miles per day
- Train Velocity – 21.5 miles per hour
- Terminal Dwell – 19.5 hours
“Despite significant weather over the weekend, the network remains in good shape. Aside from a few communities still without power, we expect service to return to normal by the end of the week. In those areas, we continue to use generators to power our signaling systems. Maintaining this level of performance through widespread winter conditions underscores the resilience of our team and the strength of our service product,” wrote Rocker.
STB Merger Application
On Jan. 16, the STB ruled that UP’s application to merge with NS was “incomplete without prejudice.” A “without prejudice” ruling means that once complete the “STB can evaluate the merits of the case without the initial, incomplete determination affecting the outcome.”
The Board’s request, UP says, is “narrow and focused,” identifying the following three areas for clarification:
- “Full system impact analyses, including market share projections for the combined entity.
- “Entire merger agreement, including related instruments.
- “Additional detail on the related application involving the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA).”
UP and NS are preparing the requested materials and will resubmit with the additional detail “to ensure a complete, accurate and transparent filing,” the Class I noted. “The merger process remains very much alive, and we will continue to keep you informed,” said UP.
NS
NS has combined AI with hands-on railroad expertise to create a cutting-edge wheel integrity system “designed to catch defects before they become larger issues,” the Class I recently announced. The first system went live Nov. 24 at Burns Harbor, Ind., a strategic site near Chicago for freight transport. This location, the Class I says, “allows NS to inspect cars entering and leaving its network, providing safety benefits for NS and the industry as a whole.”
Wheel defects are among the most serious mechanical defects in the industry, NS noted. “The technology allows our railroaders to address maintenance needs promptly, enhancing safety, reducing service disruptions and protecting long-term asset performance.”
According to NS, the new wheel integrity system pinpointed a critical external vendor casting flaw on a wheel set. “Coupled with our relentless root cause investigation, the technology initiated an industry recall and the confirmation of seven confirmed defects across North America.”
The new standalone system was built upon the success of the existing Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals, which have already identified and removed from service more than 50 wheels with issues since January 2025, according to the Class I. “With algorithms developed entirely by NS, the wheel integrity system is the first for the railroad industry. Unlike the NS DTI portals, which scan entire trains, the new system zeroes in on wheels, capturing ultra-high-resolution images from critical angles to identify cracks,” NS noted.
Six synchronized cameras capture about 55 high-resolution images per wheel at speeds up to 70 mph. The AI algorithms analyze images to detect subtle defects difficult for the human eye to identify consistently. Collaboration across multiple teams, with integration support from Georgia Tech Research Institute, brought the technology to life.
“This is a railroad-designed solution for a railroad problem. We’re the first to deploy a vision-based system that identifies cracks before they break, and we did it with our own technology and talent,” said NS Senior Director of Mechanical Operations and Support Brian Yeager.
NS says it plans to expand the wheel integrity system in 2026.
