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

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.