WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Union Pacific's plan to acquire Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal to create the first U.S. coast-to-coast freight rail operator.

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

Big mergers sometimes lead to big layoffs. Might that happen in the Harrisburg area — home to a giant Norfolk Southern hub — if Union Pacific completes its buyout of Norfolk Southern? Probably not, according to one industry expert.