product · May 20, 2026

Union Pacific Challenges BNSF Switching Tariff Changes

Union Pacific filed a complaint with the Surface Transportation Board on May 15, 2026, challenging BNSF Railway's changes to its reciprocal switching tariff in Switching Book 8005-E effective May 1, 2026. BNSF canceled longstanding reciprocal switching rates for many unit train grain shipments, tripling the rate for grain to Union Pacific and increasing the rate at Grand Island, Nebraska, by 472 percent from $295 to $1,395 for most commodities at locations where Union Pacific had recently won business. BNSF also refused to perform reciprocal switching for unit trains of grain to or from Union Pacific facilities. Union Pacific Executive Vice President Kenny Rocker announced the filing and sought Surface Transportation Board orders declaring the changes unlawful and prescribing reciprocal switching under 49 U.S.C. §§ 10702, 10704, 11102, and 11701. BNSF responded on May 18, 2026, stating the filing lacks merit, the rules had not been updated in over a decade, and no customer lost competi