Companies

Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern Merge to Create First Transcontinental Railroad

The $85 billion deal aims to strengthen the U.S. supply chain, boost manufacturing, and spur economic growth while preserving union jobs.
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern Merge to Create First Transcontinental Railroad
Shipping containers parked at the Union Pacific Railroad intermodal facility in Commerce, Calif., on April 16, 2025. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Panos Mourdoukoutas
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Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. are now officially merging to create the nation’s first transnational railroad.

The new entity will connect more than 50,000 route miles across 43 states, from the East Coast to the West Coast, linking approximately 100 ports and reaching nearly every corner of North America, the companies said. It aims to better integrate the U.S. supply chain, boost American manufacturing, and create new sources of economic growth and workforce opportunities that preserve union jobs.

Panos Mourdoukoutas
Panos Mourdoukoutas
Author
Panos Mourdoukoutas is a professor of economics at Long Island University in New York City. He also teaches security analysis at Columbia University. He’s been published in professional journals and magazines, including Forbes, Investopedia, Barron's, IBT, and Journal of Financial Research. He’s also the author of many books, including “Business Strategy in a Semiglobal Economy” and “China's Challenge.”