Union Pacific has resubmitted the application for its proposed $85 billion mega-merger with Norfolk Southern, as the company once again makes its case to form what would be the United States' first true transcontinental railroad.

According to a release from UP, the new merger application was submitted with the Surface Transportation Board on April 30, after the STB rejected the first attempt in January. At the time, the board cited concerns over a lack of projected market-share data provided by UP and Norfolk in the initial application, as well as the failure of the two companies to include a copy of the full agreement. Having now resubmitted, UP CEO Jim Vena expressed confidence in the deal moving forward.

“After completing the additional work requested by the STB, the facts remain clear: This merger enhances competition and delivers real public benefits that make America’s supply chain stronger," Vena said.

In the analysis submitted to the STB, UP claimed that the merger would take roughly 2.1 million trucks off of roads, and save shippers $3.5 billion annually by shifting more freight from trucking to rail. The company also asserted that the merger connecting the eastern and western regions of the U.S. would remove the need for interchange handoffs between railroads, cutting transit times by up to 48 hours.

Opponents to the deal have claimed that it would lead to less competition among rail freight providers, and raise prices for shippers and consumers alike. U.S. lawmakers have also flagged historical precedents, including the UP-Southern Pacific merger in 1996, which doubled rail freight transit times, and led to deteriorated rail performance across nearly all metrics, according to an analysis from Wayne State University.