TRANSPORTATION

Shippers Groups Assail Proposed Rail Merger: Union Pacific Corp.’s proposed $5.4-billion acquisition of Southern Pacific Corp. is drawing opposition from shippers’ groups that say it will hurt competition. The combined railroad would have 31,000 miles of track in 25 states, Canada and Mexico. Opponents must file comments with the Surface Transportation Board by March 29. The STB, the successor to the Interstate Commerce Commission, is expected to rule on the proposal by July. The National Industrial Transportation League said Thursday it voted to oppose the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific transaction unless regulators require Southern Pacific to sell rail lines in some areas “to mitigate anticompetitive effects.”