TRANSPORTATION

Southern Pacific Won’t Oppose Rail Merger: Southern Pacific Rail Corp. said it won’t fight the merger of Burlington Northern Inc. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp. in exchange for certain track rights and a hauling agreement. San Francisco-based Southern Pacific would be granted the rights upon completion of Ft. Worth-based Burlington Northern’s $4-billion acquisition of Santa Fe Pacific, which is based in Schaumburg, Ill. The deal would create the nation’s largest railroad, displacing Union Pacific Corp. from the top spot. It is subject to approval by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Under the agreement, Southern Pacific would retain its rights to use Burlington’s lines between Chicago and Kansas City, Kan., and would gain access to some Texas lines.