By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday criticized Union Pacific's plan to acquire Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first U.

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

Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers across the country.