Union Pacific to buy Norfolk Southern for $85bn | Transport News

Union Pacific has announced its intentions to buy its smaller rival, Norfolk Southern, which would create the first coast-to-coast freight rail operator in the United States and reshape the movement of goods from grains to autos across the US.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad giant announced the proposed $85bn deal on Tuesday.

If the merger is approved, the transaction would be the largest-ever buyout in the railroad sector.

Union Pacific has a stronghold in the western two-thirds of the US,…