Greater risk of toxic derailments if $85bn railroad merger is approved, warn unions

Debris from a Norfolk Southern freight train lies scattered and burning along the tracks on 4 February 2023, the day after it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Photograph: Gene J Puskar/AP

A proposed mega-merger of two of the largest railroad companies in the US will hurt jobs, raise costs for consumers and increase the risk of more catastrophic train crashes, according to workers and unions.

Union Pacific proposed a $85bn deal to buy Norfolk Southern last month, which would create the first transcontinental railroad network in the US.