OMAHA, Neb. — Companies that have plants served by only one railroad may soon be able to get a bid from another railroad if their service is bad enough under a new rule that was proposed Sept. 7.

Three of the five members of the Federal Maritime Commission are urging the Surface Transportation Board to reject Canadian Pacific Railway’s plan to merge with the smaller, but strategically significant Kansas City Southern Railroad.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board began two days of emergency public hearings April 26 to try to find ways to loosen the still-jammed supply chain.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board proposed a rule change that aims to bring immediate relief for shippers facing poor rail service, asserting that the agency can take emergency action on its own to address delays.

Pan Am Railways, Maine’s largest rail operator, will merge with Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX Transportation, the fourth-largest rail transportation company in the U.S.

The Rail Customer Coalition, a group of manufacturing, agricultural and industrial shippers, sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to nominate candidates to fill vacant seats on the Surface Transportation Board.

CSX Corp. CEO Hunter Harrison told a conference that he’s “trying to stay back a little bit,” prompting questions about how much he’s involved in the day-to-day operations at the U.S. railroad and how soon a transition in leadership might occur.

Due to the threat of Hurricane Irma, the Surface Transportation Board postponed a meeting scheduled for Sept. 12 to discuss CSX’s rail service woes this summer.