RAWLINS -- Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are merging in an $85 billion deal to create the first transcontinental railroad in the United States and the city of Rawlins is on board.

The merger aims to improve the supply chain by connecting 50,000 route miles from the East Coast to the West Coast, linking about 100 ports and nearly every corner of North America, according to a July 29 press release from Union Pacific.

The press release noted the combined company “will deliver faster, more comprehensive freight service to U.S. shippers” by eliminating interchange delays, opening new routes, expanding intermodal services, and reducing distance and transit time on key rail corridors.

A more truck-competitive solution, the “Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad will decrease highway con

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