Trade associations representing various industries issued a letter Tuesday expressing "serious concerns" about a proposed merger between major rail companies Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific.

“We write to express our serious concerns and reservations about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern,” said the letter, which came from trade associations representing manufacturing, chemical, energy and agriculture firms.

“Past rail mergers have shown what happens when consolidation goes unchecked: service suffers, costs increase, and jobs disappear,” the trade groups wrote to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council, a group that represents the chemical industry, raised concerns about the potential for high

See Full Page