The merger would create the United States’ first coast-to-coast rail network, spanning 50,000 miles and 43 states.

A merger between shipping giants Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern could soon create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad, with tracks spanning more than 50,000 miles across 43 states.

Union Pacific said on Tuesday it would buy smaller rival Norfolk Southern in an $85 billion deal to create the first U.S. coast-to-coast freight rail operator and reshape the movement of goods from grains to autos across the country.