Transportation’s Longtime Bipartisanship Shows Early Fault Lines

A new year threatens the bipartisan peace that Republicans and Democrats enjoyed on transportation policy in 2025.

The two parties found substantial agreement on modernizing the air traffic control system, encouraging more domestic shipbuilding, and other issues despite upheaval in the federal government spurred by President Donald Trump’s return to power. But the political noise is getting louder.

Railroads are an example. Both parties court support from industry leaders as well as the unions. A pending merger between Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. to form the nation’s first transcontinental freight railroad could make Democrats and Republicans pick ...