The Surface Transportation Board is not charged with deciding whether this merger benefits two railroad companies. Local communities, including Trussville, should not be expected to absorb the costs of decisions made in corporate boardrooms to create value for shareholders. Alabama is fortunate to have extensive railroad infrastructure and we recognize that railways are essential to keeping our economy moving. It should require enforceable commitments that protect public safety and create value for local communities from day one. If Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern want the benefits of a larger national rail system, they should also accept responsibility for the local communities that make that system work.